When I graduated high school, I had strong gravitational pulls from opposite directions. I was mesmerized by music, poetry and fiction, but also excelled at math. I sometimes scratched out lyrics and poems in the student parking lot well after the first period bell rang, yet somehow got nominated as 'Most Likely to Own His Own Business' by my peers. I dreamed of writing novels while attending college at Appalachian State University, perhaps due to the high praise and encouragement of my freshman English teacher, Dixie Farthing. But the pragmatic views instilled in me by my mother won out, and I ultimately transferred to North Carolina State University to pursue a degree in Mechanical Engineering and chase the 'easy math and money' my friends in the know talked up. The years of owning and operating a successful consulting engineering firm that followed steadily eroded my concept of success, and a familiar voice grew louder from somewhere within. Finally armed with what I considered 'adequate life experiences', I wandered back out into that parking lot and discovered the world of fictional writing that has patiently waited for me.
I write novels about life, propelled by intriguing and believable plots that naturally unfold from cultural conflict and personal strife. My goal is to reflect on the contradictions of life as the story takes flight and accelerates towards a dramatic finish. My stories are presented through well-developed characters and settings so real you can feel yourself in them. The protagonists are often average people that find themselves faced with a once-in-a-lifetime extraordinary challenge. While I prefer not to be tied down to one specific genre, the common thread in all my work is the convergence of subplots towards a wrenching and unpredictable climax.
My philosophy as a writer is to connect with readers on an individual level. If I write a good enough book, you will not only be entertained, but will discover something about life with me in the process. If I write a good enough book, there will be more than enough in the way of nuances and symbolism to reach each of you. If my characters and settings come to life, I can convey that unmistakable feeling you get when you realize you know exactly what they are going through. And if my prose is captivating and my voice becomes your own, I know you won't be able to put the story down, just as I couldn't stop writing it.