-Where did you grow up, and how did this influence your writing?

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I've spent my life living in coastal Rhode Island, USA and the writing is a clear look at my experience as I grew spiritually sick through the use and abuse of alcohol and drugs, the damages caused, and then my ultimate recovery through a profound spiritual experience. Everywhere I travel throughout my state I see my memories, both before and after the spiritual experience that I had.

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-When did you first start writing?

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I started writing years ago yet would find myself at a loss and would abandon each title. I've reviewed two of those past manuscripts that were started and have recently begun work on one of them that I really like, "Bores' Mission."

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-What's the story behind "Delusion of Mind Strength Through Spirit?"

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It's an in-depth look at the cause of alcoholism and my revealing experience with the illness. The triumph is my full recovery from an insidious illness that wraps itself around the sufferer like a wet t-shirt. It's about spiritual disease, the cause, and the solution, a reconnection to God.

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-What's the story behind "Abandonment Nightmares & The Honeysuckle Dream?"

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This is indeed the book I've always wanted to write but I needed to get "Delusion" out of the way first. This is the hard look at familial experiences related to generational trauma and drama and the incessant need for each family member to embrace their role in carrying it on to the next generation most times by instilling fear in other family members. It's about discovering the fear(s) and coming to a place where you are willing to let it go. My new book is spiritual in nature and written in a way that will resonate with anyone. 

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-What motivated you to become an author?

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I've always wanted to tell "my story." As I would spend countless hours working with others to help them break free I came to see that there is indeed a wide audience looking for hope with an issue that strikes home with so many, whether they are spiritually sick or the loved one of a spiritually sick person.

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-What do your readers mean to you?

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Hope. The hope that perhaps they will experience their own "A-ha" moments as they review my writings, and life.

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-What inspires you to get out of bed each day?

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The idea that as an individual I can be of service to God, and others, even if it is simply passing on a smile. The idea that we each have our own "personal legend" that needs to be fulfilled.

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-What is your writing process?

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Six to eight hours a day! Once I start I block everything out and retreat from community and society to get the job done. I go into a cocoon and get into a groove. When I'm immersed in that stream of writing I don't want to get out and dry off until the task is complete. It is a rinse and repeat, write and rest, and while resting I ruminate on what the next part of the writing will include. Most times it feels as though I am not there when typing and am amazed at how God provides the guidance. Following each writing session I print it out and do a soft edit and then put it aside. 

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-How did you approach your cover designs?

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I leave it up to God, as I do with most everything. In other words I follow that intuitive nudge. I became a part of a photoshoot where a friend was creating a coffee table book and when the time arrived that a cover design was needed for "Delusion" I received a message from the photographer with an image included. It just "felt right." And then a dear friend added the graphics to complete it. 

The cover for "Abandonment," and even the title for this book, came to me before the writing even began. The image is from a honeysuckle vine I have planted in the yard at our home in honor of a time long ago (which is explained in the book). The non-descript nature of the cover was wholly intentional. It is specifically designed as a bit of a blank slate to so as to not bring about any thought, feeling, or ideas that might influence an opinion of the book before the reader gets into it.  

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-Describe your desk. And your current work in progress.

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My desk is crisp, clean and neat. No clutter, very orderly. Years ago it mirrored my mind, an absolute mess and a dismal neighborhood to visit. My first two books are nonfiction. "Delusion" was far easier to write than "Abandonment" as the latter required a really deep dive into a difficult subject matter to bring about. As I neared the completion of my latest book I made the comment to my wife that the next book will have to a bit more fluffy. "Bores' Mission" is a title I began years ago and I still like the premise of it. My hope is to revisit this writing and bring it back to life.