I saw a photo of a grown person seated at a computer, pacifier in mouth for stress relief.

No thank you. I prefer to get lost in a good book for stress relief. How about you?

I began writing after reading multiple novels and watching the masters unfold stories page after page. A homeless man’s murder prompted me to write my first novel after I identified the deceased by skin removed from his thumb. (In the novel, a killer uses skin from a dead man’s thumb to leave a bloody thumbprint at his murder scenes.) I was hooked.

I am a pantser. One notable author refers to himself as an organic writer instead of pantser. I like his label. I tried the outline way and deviated from my notes more and more. Creativity comes when I get an idea and write as the story unfolds in my thoughts. I ask, “What if?” if I feel stuck and go from there. An emotional flow of stress relief finds its way on page after page.

The first literary agent I queried asked to read my work. I thought, “Okay, this is a good start.” He rejected it. Looking back. I understand why. Rejections are a major downer when they begin to fill file folders. I edited the story based on feedback and the recognition of this subjective business. I continue to write and read while I wait on my bright-future moment to shine on me.

Acceptance by two publishers for four of my novels boosted my ego. No pacifier in mouth necessary. A sense of success came and went. The publisher of Blood Red Deceit, After Her Deceit and The Shocking Truth (a revised version of my first novel) closed for business at the end of 2025. Stress? Lots. What next?

Stress relief. Genius Books agreed to publish the three thriller novels listed above and three unpublished thrillers titled Deadline 4:59 (the sequel to The Shocking Truth), The Threat in His Shadow, and Where the Pieces Fall (the first book in a planned series).

When I think about my writing life, the accomplishment I am most proud of is Kill Your Characters, (published by Genius Books on June 7, 2022), which delivered satisfaction unlike any prior writings because it offers knowledge accumulated through my career to other writers. Feedback is great and awards confirmed it for me. Stress relief with no pacifier in mouth.

I enjoy reading suspense and thriller novels and average reading thirty novels a year. My favorites include Velocity and The Husband, by Dean Koontz; The Green Mile, by Stephen King; Killing Floor by Lee Child; Absolute Power by David Baldacci; and The Choirboys by Joseph Wambaugh.

One tidbit about me I share with you is, I worked security on a movie shoot and was used as an extra (police officer) in the film. One memory I will always cherish is actor Tim Conway’s offer to sell a car used in the movie to me.

In my youth, I wondered how it was possible for novelists to publish multiple novels. I never dreamed I might become one of them.

Thanks to readers like you, I dream on. And write more stories for stress relief and entertainment.