Of the many questions I’ve been asked about as a writer, the ones that most often come up are related to how I began writing and what inspires me to continue. Here is my best effort to address those questions:
While I cannot remember the exact moment that I wanted to become a writer, I do recall that it was at a young age, and directly related to my relationship with my father. Years later, it was the relationship with my own son that finally sparked me to take action.
As a young child, I can remember reading the Gus the Friendly Ghost books by Jane Thayer. Shortly thereafter, I would start writing my own little stories about Spiro Spider. I would draw the pictures and tell my stories to my father who would write them out and help me make them into tiny books with construction paper covers. As I grew, I would graduate to chapter books like the Bobbsey Twins and Pippy Longstocking series, and eventually, I would begin to read my father’s Clive Cussler novels. I can recall my excitement at feeling like I had achieved adulthood when I finished that first novel, and have read each and every Cussler novel since. Cussler novels, set on the sea, were a primary factor in encouraging my enlistment into the Navy.
Years later, I sought to pass my love of reading onto my own son, who was rather high-strung at a young age and would only pay attention to rhyming stories. As such, Dr. Seuss was the only author who could capture his attention. After reading the Seuss books way too many times, I began to make up my own stories to keep him entertained. Eventually, I began to write my own rhyming children’s stories. In the early 2000’s, I worked with literary agent (and author) Barbara Casey to try to place my stories. This endeavor proved unsuccessful, as at that time, few children’s stories were being accepted due to publishers concentrating on converting existing inventory into e-format. Additionally, I was reluctant to give up creative control of my work, a requirement of each of the publishers who were considering my work. Finally, years later, I elected to self-publish my first rhyming picture book, Penelope Skunk Has Junk in Her Trunk in 2013, and have since published an additional three stories. While this has been my concentration to date, I am also eager to publish adult action adventure books and have several attempts underway, each in various stages.
A couple of years ago, the two genres came together in a rather unusual way, when I mailed my first two children’s books to Mr. Cussler. A legendary author, I didn’t think they would ever even reach him, but it was worth an attempt. Besides, I felt obligated to share my work with one of the major sources of my own inspiration. You can imagine my surprise when a few weeks later, I received a handwritten letter from the author. He wrote that he had enjoyed the books, passed them onto his own grandchildren, and graciously offered to endorse my children’s books. The letter is currently framed and serves as a constant source of encouragement in my endeavor to achieve my own successful, writing career.