About Me

My Author Story:

I have been working full time for more than 40 years. I have enjoyed a successful career in the commercial insurance industry assisting businesses with reducing their workplace injuries. It has been a very rewarding career. But, for more than a decade, I’d had an idea for a book bouncing around in my head. I’d think about it from time to time, but I never acted on it. But the story wouldn’t go away. So, after my kids left home and graduated college, I decided to do something about it. I started with an outline, adjusted it some and finally began to write. And the story poured out of me. I found that the places I’d been, the people I’d met and the things I’d done throughout my life, all helped me form the story and the characters.

My initial goal was to just start. For years, I had found reasons not to. So, if I could just get started, then I could at least say, "I tried."  But once I started, I liked it. I liked the ability to make the characters do what I wanted and tell the story the way I thought it should be told. My goal changed from just starting…to completing.

I was working full time and I had used that as an excuse to never begin. I didn’t have the time. But the simple act of starting was enough to show myself that I could find the time. After all, I had the rest of my life to finish. It felt good to be productive somewhere other than just work. And I was in complete control. No one was telling when or how hard to work.

That made me realize how much I had been struggling with a sense of fulfillment. Until I found writing, I didn’t realize how much I craved to be creative. This new ability to create lives and stories and make characters both, glorious and horrible, was both liberating and intoxicating. This helped drive me to complete the book.

That’s when things changed, not my fortunes, sadly, but my perception. My perception of what was possible, changed. I was now a published author and people were buying my book. And, they liked it! The reviews were good, people said they really enjoyed it and some even said it was the best book they had read all year. It felt great. It was made me feel successful on a level I had never experienced.

I am far from being a best selling author, or a full time author, and sometimes I wonder if this "writing thing" will ever pay off.  At times it depresses me.  When this happens, I think back about why I wrote those stories in the first place. It wasn’t for the money. I never expected to get rich. No, it was because I had something to say and I had found a fun and creative way to say it. People also responded to it. So, I changed my perspective away from commercial success, back to internal success. I love to write, it brings me joy and a sense of accomplishment. I love creating something out of nothing and I love writing people as I see humanity, both good, bad and indifferent. It makes me happy. So, my big break may never come, and it might, but regardless, I will continue to write my stories and share them with anyone who wants to read them. All it takes is one reader to say, “I enjoyed your story, thanks,” to know I am a successful author.

I know everyone has a story to tell and I hope I can help someone else realize their dream of becoming an author. If I can do it, anyone can. So, I encourage you to take that first step by deciding you will begin. There is a whole community out there to assist you and I am part of that community. Ask me your questions about how to get started, or just bounce an idea off me. I’d love to help you.