AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY

                Passion: Strong emotion.

A word, simply defined; passion is the seed planted deep within the spirit of every human being by our Creator God. Without it our dreams would lack the power to survive the crushing blows of defeat.

I have passion; I am a survivor.

I was born the youngest of four children. We were poor but proud. My Mother was half Japanese and my Father was very blue-blood English, and in 1950 the pain and loss of war was still too fresh in the hearts and minds of many Americans. But my Mom was a strong and tenacious woman, and she loved people; but most of all, she loved Jesus.

At eight years old I got my first job sweeping the floor of my one room country schoolhouse. It paid four dollars a month; my first taste of financial freedom.

My early years taught me well: hard work would pay the bills but smart work could allow me to pursue my dreams. I had dreams.

I met then married my high school sweetheart Karen and went to college to be an architect. I got side tracked in a creative writing class and was told maybe I should pursue a writing career. I rejected both options, dropped out of college, and put my dreams on hold. Dreams are fragile and they don’t store well tucked away in a far corner of your heart.

Fourteen years with Pepsi-Cola and two beautiful children later, I found myself burnt out and wanting more. The years had filled my head with stories. Was it time to open the box inside my heart and let a dream fall out?

I believe God’s timing to be perfect; the stories in my head would have to wait.

It was May 1989. God placed me on a path that I am still on today. I am a builder of houses; I work with wood. I create stories with my hands that people can touch, smell and feel. I make dreams a reality. I do it with passion.

So what does this have to do with writing stories? Everything. Life is a journey, and on my journey, God has provided me detours of opportunity. In 1974, Karen and I became Christians and joined a local church. I involved myself in Christian Theater and discovered a love for singing and acting. My first serious attempt at creative writing came one Christmas season, when found in lack of quality material for a theatrical production at our church. I volunteered to write something. That was fifteen years ago.

I smile at the thought of that first story and realize how far I have come and how far I have yet to go. God’s timing is perfect, and He has called me to write stories; stories to turn the hearts of people toward the God who created us.

I write with passion.