Learning to hold a crayon was the first step to a lifetime of writing for me. Writing as a living was not anywhere on my immediate radar screen when I decided to major in English in college. Having said that I wouldn 't change any of it for the world. Writing is so much more than an opportunity to make money for me, it's also a method of healing myself and shielding myself from the harshness of the world around me.

You should also realize that there is more to me than writing. I am an avid reader but also enjoy camping, sailing, riding horses, swimming, cooking, traveling, photography, playing computer games, and watching action films. Perhaps this is one reason that writing comes so naturally to me; it's a continuous learning process.

I believe that my favorite writers have each had a different but equally profound impact on my ability to write as well as my style of writing. Writers that have caught my eye along the way and stirred something deep inside include: W. E. B. Griffith, Janet Evanovich, David Baldacci, Patricia Cornwell, and James Patterson. It has taken reading various works from these and many, many other very talented wordsmiths along the way to make me the writer I am today-I only hope to grow from here. Like my hobbies, I am always trying new authors and genres, some of the new genres I 'm discovering a fascination for are urban and traditional fantasies.

I am seriously excited about the opportunity to communicate with other writers and the opportunity to use this outlet for expression. Don 't be a stranger, the more you visit and comment the more things we 'll have to talk about.