Sunrise of Thought

The biggest influence on my writing was my teachers in school. To me, teachers move the future. They had the class read books such as To Kill a Mockingbird, The Odyssey, Great Expectations, and Tom Sawyer. I read great short stories including To Build a Fire, my favorite, and many other classics. If I had a book that influenced my life it would probably be 'Mutiny on the Bounty' because its theme is men standing up for what is right and fair. Writing extensively in the past several years I have created 12 screenplays ranging from fantasy, adventure, science fiction, drama, and romance. I have also created an animation series about talking polar bears and their families. I have written a television pilot with the same characters as the full features. Craftsmanship and woodworking are in my background. I have made twelfth-inch scale miniature houses, windows, doors, floors, furniture, and cabinets that would be found in a Victorian house. In addition, I constructed, out of wood, a one-quarter-inch scale version of Monticello and its grounds and brought many customers' childhood dreams or homes to life. Growing up my family moved from place to place due to my father's work. I believe that adversity instilled a sense of grit and resilience in me and a sense of great responsibility toward my family. I live in northern Illinois with the love of my life, Janet, three grown children, and three grandchildren.