Get To Know The Author

I grew up in western Idaho around feedlots, saleyards, and ranches. College took me to Boise and a business and family kept me there, but I snuck back to cow ranches whenever possible. Cherishing interesting people made me into a closeted writer. Realizing that I wouldn't improve without taking chances made me publish. I'm semi-retired and live with my wife Karyl in the mountains outside Boise. We spend way too much time on the deck talking about storylines and the fact that we have four independent and successful kids that listen politely to our advice, roll their eyes discreetly, and then go live their lives. 

My writing style has been likened to a 5-year-old sitting cross legged on the floor, playing with action figures. The reality is that I'm too stiff to hold that posture. And I have a laptop. I was in a waiting room of an upscale retirement home—and wondered what would happen if a retired mobster moved in. Driving through the high-desert—I entertained myself with thoughts of putting someone there that is completely foreign to that culture. What subterfuge would get them there? What actions would keep them? How would it change who they were? How would they be welcomed, or not?

I start with an interesting detail about a person or place and the story takes off. Or doesn't and gets deleted. Having characters in your head, for months at a time, means continual pondering in ways that aren't all conscious. Things happen. My favorite is when I've written myself into a corner, not knowing what happens next. Then magically, the story takes off in a direction that was unanticipated, using seemingly forgotten details from months earlier. It's like the universe is waiting to reward you, but not until you've paid in sweat. I had the great fortune to get an editor/coach/friend that then sweats to make it readable. She challenges me with, so, what if you... Chides me: that scene is a mistake...Or lights me up with, I can't wait to find out! I squirrel away interesting phrases, observations from others, and things that make me feel strongly. Yes, it's likely that something from you is waiting in that file.

No one is boring if you ask the right questions. Everyone has had a struggle that tested their capacity. It's fascinating when people recount hard times with laughter and memories of the good that resulted. Hearing about them got me writing, then I realized the joy of putting them on paper. It was an addiction that escalated into inventing characters and storylines. When I felt the fear of failing publicly, I confronted it by coercing friends to read and critique. Then a downward spiral into publishing. I joke about it, but my joy has been in striving to improve. My goals has never been to sell books, but to get good enough at writing stories that others would want to read them. There are a jillion websites that will help you write and sell to a specific market. I'm doing this because I enjoy it. No AI, no target market writing and no marketing other than appearances and spreading the word amongst friends.