HOME BASE:
I was born in 1958 in the northern town of Prince Rupert, British Columbia, Canada. When I was 9 years old, my parents moved us South, to Victoria.
Victoria is the province’s capital and boasts Canada’s mildest weather. It's a big tourist destination as well as retirement hot-spot. For its size, it is uncommonly clean; a garden city with plenty of outdoor attractions and activities. Not coincidentally, Victoria is the setting for all of my novels, so far.
EDUCATION:
I was not a very dedicated student, but my marks in Biology and English have always been impressive. Just to be contrary, I pursued a degree in Physics. I scraped through and managed to attain a B.Sc. from the University of Victoria. I very nearly also earned a B.A. in English but just didn’t have enough momentum left for more school.
WORK:
It had always been my ambition to become a writer but, after graduation, my interest in computers led me to computer retail, selling some of the first home computers, like the Vic 20, Commodore 64, and Amiga, nostalgia fans.
Unexpectedly, my technical expertise with computers and desktop publishing led to an apprenticeship with the internationally acclaimed Beautiful British Columbia Magazine. Five years later, I left to become the publisher of BC Agriculture Magazine.
After this, I co-art-directed several video and television productions, including Take-Off! an acclaimed Canadian television series.
Since that time, I have been in business for myself as a marketer, project co-ordinator and sandwich man... whatever paid the bills while allowing me time to write.
FAMILY:
In 2003, I married a Japanese woman named Junko who is an adept practitioner of the lost art of homemaking and who also homeschooled our children until grade 9, when both (Noah, 2005, and Rihana, 2007) elected to enter the school system.
My first book was "published" in grade 4. Mrs. Holdridge assigned the whole class to illustrate it and she bound it with staples. It was widely distributed...to our parents.
That's when I decided I wanted to become a writer.
That's how influential a single teacher can be.
For many years after that, I wrote stories that I hope never see the light of day.
I was drawn to the cleverness and technical twists in science fiction (Ben Bova, Aldus Huxley, Isaac Asimov, Harry Harrison, Arthur C. Clarke–those were the icons of my early years), but I always felt they lacked realism.
Then I read The Stand by Stephen King and it shook my world. This was fiction that felt real to the core.
From then on, that's what I aspired to write.
For a long while, my prose got all high-fallutin. Then I read Michael Connelly's Bosch and Lincoln Lawyer series' and learned that heroes could be harsh, and language was best when simple and straightforward.
Then came indie publishing.
And, here I am.
If you like realistically drawn sci-fi worlds and characters, try one of my fiction books.
For others, I have written three books of humour and commentary.