Hi there! This is me on a relatively good day (snickers).
Just a man in his fifties who’s been writing for almost as many years. I blame the following for influencing my style along the way:
Jack London - for introducing me to adventure writing, the perspective of animals, and amazing outdoor imagery.
Duncan Kyle - a relatively obscure British author of intensely suspenseful novels. He created in me the love for penning huge, carefully staged action scenes.
Michael Crichton - hands-down the master at making dense exposition fun to read and a near-sadistic genius with the use of cliffhangers.
Carl Hiaasen - the wordsmith who taught me how to infuse every story with compellingly strange characters, respect for nature, poignant social insights, and a very twisted sense of humor (especially when it comes to villains poetically getting what they deserve).
Hunter S. Thompson - the original Gonzo counter-culture journalist and a true wizard at turning a phrase into unique text art. He could smell BS a mile away and was fearless when it came to calling out the stench. Stunningly prescient, fiercely loyal, yet ultimately consumed by his wild, toxic lifestyle, HST set the gold standard for writing without a safety net while always being true to one’s beliefs and “pen voice.”
Religion - for turning me from the devout to the deviant. You will always find something having to do with cults and the dangers they pose in my stories. In the interest of fairness, you will also see sympathetic portrayals of those victimized by their faith and those who use belief in a higher power as a guiding, motivational force for good.
