What is a fun/unusual/unexpected fact about yourself that has nothing to do with writing?
I am a college professor. I teach health care policy.
Planner, Pantser, or Plantser (in the middle)?
Definitely a planner
What is your writerly ‘crutch’ or ‘tic’?
I am blessed with an illustrious, experienced co-author, Dick Lochte. Don’t need a crutch with Dick in the wings.
What are five things you need in order to write (like a laptop, music, notebook and pen, coffee, etc.)?
Quiet, quiet, quiet, quiet and quiet… I get lost in the act of writing but am easily distracted.
Where is your favorite place to write?
Sitting on my back porch surrounded by nature and my dogs.
What is your favorite outlet for creativity outside of writing?
being outdoors… running, cycling, hiking, fishing
Where is your favorite place to set a story? Have you ever been there?
Yes—my stories are set in our National Forests and National Parks. I have spent most of my life exploring them.
Who is your favorite fictional hero?
Joe Pickett in the CJ Box series
Who is your favorite fictional villain?
Mephistopheles in Goethe’s Faust
What was your favorite book when you were a child?
I loved Dr Seuss books … all of them.
What fictional character (from someone else’s work) would you like to write into one of your books?
Harry Hole from Jo Nesbo’s nordic noir series
Did you have any other jobs before becoming a writer?
I have founded and have been a CEO for NYSE companies, as well as working in the White House (for Bill Clinton). I have had A LOT of jobs.
If you weren’t a writer, what job would you hold?
I would do what I do now… follow my children around and enjoy watching them become adults.
Which book was the biggest struggle for you to write, and why? Which book was the easiest, and why?
Always the first one… which is the only one I have written (I am a first time author).
Did you face any rejection when you began to write?
Only from myself
Writing group or book club?
I am not…. should I be?
How do you like to connect with readers?
I’d like to connect on the basis that I am an “Everyman Author.” If I can write a book, anyone can. I had the story line in my head literally for decades but could never muster the courage to put pen to paper. I did not write the book with a view toward publication… I wrote it to ‘exorcise’ the thoughts from my brain. All it took was persistent nudging from my children and wife to force me into action.
Brief Bio
I am a first time author. I have spent my career in business, politics and community service. I am an endurance athlete, having completed over 120 marathons and ultramarathons. I am an avid hiker, fly fisherman and outdoor enthusiast. My wife, Teresa, and I live in Greenville, SC, with our dogs, Nina and Sky; the latter inspired one of the main characters of my first novel… the Aussie Shepherd named Peak.
