The Arts are very strong on both sides of my family. My father’s side were the singers. All have such beautiful voices and from what I’ve been told has been strong all the up the family tree. Dad wanted to be an opera singer but after getting married, drafted to the army during the Korean Conflict, coming home and become a father to my late brother and me dashed his hopes. He did have the most beautiful baritone I ever heard. I can sing but I’m a tenor and always felt awkward that I had to stand with the men on the church choir. My daughter, Sofia, has a beautiful soprano voice.

Mom’s side were all storytellers. My first inkling was my grandmother who would make up stories to tell us when were little. She didn’t like the stories in the books so she told her own. My mom was also an excellent storyteller and poet. She won several contests for her poetry. I tried poetry but found I preferred writing stories. My daughter is also very good at this but she doesn’t want to write. She’d make a fantastic horror author, too! Maybe one day????

I knew, at age 9, I wanted to be a writer after reading James Robert Green’s “A Whistling Sword”. I was so fascinated by his storytelling and how he used an actual historical character, Genghis Khan, in this book. Everything I read previously were Nancy Drew and The Hardy Boys so this was a real treat.

I was never able to start writing because I had no support and felt discourage even though I won awards for my work. It wasn’t until I had two mini-strokes in 2013 that I started. My doctor wanted me to play puzzle games and such so I asked him if writing would work. He said yes and “The Angler and the Owl” came to be.

Since then I’ve written “The Owl of the Sipan Lord”, a short story “From the Pages of Grandfather’s Life” which I’m planning on turning into a novella, and have just finished “Midnight Owl” (A Joe Leverette Mystery Book 1) which will be out Oct 10. This was originally going to be a trilogy but as I wrote more ideas came to me so it’ll be a series. How many books I don’t know, I’m sure I’ll think of more things to keep it going.

I took creative and journalism courses to help transition to fulfill my dream of becoming a writer. I worked as an intern for Port Huron’s ‘The Times Herald”, and also wrote, edited and did the layout for the Blue Water Multiple Sclerosis newsletter “Thumb Prints.”

I also write a blog promoting my fellow authors.

Oh I almost forgot! I love owls!!!

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