I’ve lived in Northern California all my life, and after graduating high school I immediately joined the Air Force Reserve in a quest for adventure and excitement. Well okay, maybe that’s something of a stretch. I joined because a buddy of mine was going in, I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life, and flying all over the world sounded like a great way to kill some time while I figured it out. Unexpectedly, I ended up loving the job, and I spent nearly 30 years hauling cargo from hoot to holler on C-5 and C-17 aircraft. Was there adventure and excitement? You bet! I’ve been to every continent on the globe and have seen some amazing things: from the ice fields of Antarctica to the jungles of Thailand to the sands of the Middle East and everything in between. I’ve seen oil wells on fire in Kuwait, watched the aurora borealis from 33,000 feet, and have gazed up at the Southern Cross in the night sky above the Australian outback. I’ve seen tropical sunrises so beautiful they brought tears to my eyes and I’ve seen goats wander loose through the marketplace.
What does this have to do with writing? Everything, really. I’ve sweated, I’ve shivered, I’ve stumbled and I’ve bled. I saw the sights and rode the rides, soaking up my share of life experiences along the way and finding ways to translate them onto a page.
My military days are behind me, and I’m now proud and privileged to work for a world-class biopharmaceutical company as a manufacturing supervisor. But I’m still writing, I still love it, and if a tale of mine can thrill or excite you, if the plot keeps you turning pages, and if my characters end up seeming like friends, then I’ve done my job as a storyteller. Cheers!