ABOUT ME

My first 11 years were spent in the Big Apple, in the almost charming but not quite desirable neighborhood of Washington Heights.  Following my parents' divorce, I was relocated to Manhattan, KS--the Little Apple--where I graduated high school narrowly and without honors.  College happened at the University of Delaware, as did a marked academic improvement, which greatly relieved my parents and kept me in tuition.  At Delaware I met my future ex wife, with whom I moved to Boulder, Colorado for skiing and graduate school.  Since then I've lived in Brisbane, Australia and Seattle, Washington, both of which are excellent places to be--but this summer it's back to Boulder permanently to be closer to the mountains and the sun.

When I'm not writing or coaching writers, I'm outside skiing, backpacking or mountain biking with my dog, Mackay--or I'm traveling to pursue one of the aforementioned activities.  Recent trips have included New Zealand, the Canadian Rockies and the Wind River mountains.  Upcoming are Thailand, Moab, and possibly Costa Rica.  My brother and I recently spent two weeks in Cashmere, Washington at Hay Canyon Ranch getting paraglider licenses with Aerial Paragliding (highly recommended!), so looks like a new hobby has taken flight.  Other pastimes include cooking--mostly my own creations, but also the occasional foray into Asia--and riding my big black Triumph Tiger.  I play the electric guitar, too, but not even Mackay can stand my licks.

As with most writers, my employment history is varied and sketchy.  I've worked as a short-order cook in restaurants where I wouldn't eat; as a car salesman with a commission-free conscience; as an adventure guide for the marginally adventurous; as a carpenter with rented tools; as an apartment complex manager with a rent complex; as a test-prep instructor for aspiring graduate students, MBAs and lawyers; as a trainer for aspiring instructors; as a creative writing teacher for writers more talented than myself; as an editor for untalented writers; as a freelance copywriter; and as a personal life coach, which I consider my second calling.

Some call me multi-faceted, others capricious, but that's okay with me.  My dream is to be a novelist and a coach, and the pursuit of it keeps me in a constant state of uncertainty and suspense.  I can hardly wait to see what happens next, and I hope my readers and clients will say the same.