Look and Listen

Biography

I was born in the tiny town of Buckingham, Illinois. Since the town had only 100 inhabitants, our family of 12 counted for over 10% of the population. I studied painting, drawing and sculpture after high school but didn't feel like starving for a living so I moved on, eventually doing disaster relief work for the Federal Government. I survived a long tour of duty with the U. S. Army in Viet Nam, then went on to become a senior vice president in charge of branch operations with a major bank in Los Angeles for over 25 years before taking up writing.

Inspiration

I love watching people, talking to them, observing their mannerisms, and I keep notes on the most interesting ones. I try to keep up on the latest in the art & architecture world and love to go to the movies. I like to think that I know what the latest trends are in the world around me both social and political, but I also enjoy comparing those trends to those of the past. The old adage "History repeats itself" applies here and helps me to tie a modern tale to all that has preceded it, grounding it thereby giving it a sense of truth. That's why most of my tales have both old and young characters who learn from each other. Alfred Lord Tennyson said it best, "I am part of all I have met." I like to think this applies to my writing and hope that my readers can feel how personally I am invested in my characters and their stories.