I often wonder why I’m driven to write songs and books. I think it’s because my basic impulse is to be a loner, so music and writing allows me to connect with others in ways I usually can’t. I was married once for a handful of years, but other than that I’ve led a mostly solitary life.
I was reared in a hardware store my parents owned in the western suburbs of Chicago. I had free-reign to roam the aisles, bins, shelves, and back supply rooms of the entire place, and I quickly learned to build my own toys out of nuts and bolts, pipe fittings, tools, boards and screws, and a million other things. Yep, no doubt about it, it was that Big-time Adventure and Small-town Hardware Store where my flame of creativity was first ignited by a flint striker and acetylene torch.
Meanwhile, in the living room of our home, my dad played guitar, my mom played accordion, and many were the nights I watched and listened to them jamming to their beloved country-western music. I eventually took up guitar myself, though not in earnest until a family acquaintance promised to let me join his band, if I got good at the guitar. From that point on, you couldn’t separate me from my six-string.
I grew up as the second oldest child in a large family (ultimately with six other siblings). My big sister constantly played Beatles and Motown records. Somewhere along the way to adulthood I became enamored with the Sci-Fi writings of Arthur C. Clarke, and I exited my teen years wanting to be both a songwriter and an author.
After doing an eight-year stint in the US Air Force—a period of time in which I read every science fiction and fantasy novel I could get my hands on—I received a bachelor’s degree in computer science and became a software engineer before later outing myself as an award-winning singer/songwriter and as an author.
I’ve released two music albums and two epic fantasy novels, and I am currently querying literary agents for the Sci-Fi novel I recently completed writing (my third novel).
Today I reside in Florida. Thanks for your interest.
P.S. I don't have any dogs, though I am indeed a dog loving person. My best friend has seven of them, and it's not unusual to see me in a pic with some of her fur babies.
