I have wanted to be a writer since I was in the second grade and am fulfilling a dream every day when I sit down to
write. I have published 15 books to date. Five of those books are children’s books. Two of my books, Litter and
Grimmer Folk Stories, were recipients of the Georgia Independent Author of the Year Awards in 2022, for best
Horror/Thriller and collection of short stories. Two of my books, The Cures and From Sorrow to Tomorrow were
recipients of the Georgia Independent Author of the Year Awards in 2023 for best science fiction and best book of
poetry. Just recently, two of my books, Idioms and Slowly, I Grow, won the Georgia Independent Author Awards for
best fiction and poetry in 2024.
I was born in Roanoke, Virginia, and grew up in Bristol, Tennessee. A graduate of The University of Tennessee, I
have lived in Augusta, Georgia for 31 years, where I retired after a long healthcare career. I have been married for 43
years and have one son, one granddaughter, and a dog, Oreo. When I am not writing, I love reading, working in the
garden, or traveling with my wife and dog, especially to visit our new granddaughter.
When I was very young, I wrote poems about my family, trying to be another Dr. Seuss, one of my favorite authors
then and still so today. In the fourth grade, my father introduced me to Edgar Allan Poe and I have been a lover of horror
stories ever since. I think writers become writers because we love to read. My work reflects those I admire, and I hope
that even though I stand on the shoulders of those who came before me, my literary voice is unique and continues to
evolve. My children’s books reflect a love for animals, nature, and my granddaughter with the intent of helping children
not only learn to read but also learn to love reading. My poetry is driven by nature and my thoughts within that
environment reflecting its healing ability, boundless beauty, and spiritual essence. My novels and short story collections
are sentimental reflections of the past, ghost stories that will make you want to keep a light on at night when you go to
bed, horror stories that are a shock to the senses, or unique stories that have many surprising twists and turns that make
you want to keep turning the pages.