The Journey Begins

As long as I can remember, I've wanted to be a writer.
At times, I wanted to be a publisher too.


At about nine years old, I started my own periodical, The Kids' Magazine, which consisted of neighborhood news as told by the kids on my street.  The top story was "Mrs. White Falls Down."

Mrs. White was an elderly woman on our road and a real grouch.  From the day I learned to walk, her lawn was a "no kids zone."  She confiscated any toy with the audacity to touch her property and was always quick with a warning to stay off her grass.

She had slipped one day, and soon, an ambulance blared its way into our quiet neighborhood.  As the adults gathered around the scene complete with flashing lights and siren, the kids were told to go home.  I distinctly remember telling my friends that the grown-ups had no right to keep us away.

 "We're the generation of the future!" I said.  "The future has a right to know!"

After that, I wrote a story about the incident and went door-to-door selling The Kids Magazine.  (For the record, Mrs. White wouldn't buy it.  She said she had lived it and didn't care about the kids perspective. What nerve! ha ha )The magazine only lasted one issue, but it still stands out as a fond memory from my youth.

I continued writing one story or another throughout my life; I studied fiction in college and expected to write an epic fantasy one day.  But when the post-college bills began rolling in, I looked around and saw one simple truth--no one in my home town was willing to pay for wizard stories.  That's when I turned to the newspaper.  (What can I say?  I like checks.)

Since 2007, I've written for various newspapers, writing human interest stories on an array of topics.  I've even snagged interviews with some famous people like Olympic gold medalist Seth Wescott and UFC Fighters Marcus "The Celtic Warrior" Davis and Tim "The Barbarian" Boetsch.  (Pretty manly stories, huh?)

While on the hunt for articles, I became friends with some Mormon missionaries and my home turned into a local haven, a place where they could feel welcome.  That's when I decided to write my book, Who's at the Door?  A Memoir of Me and the Missionaries.

I finished the manuscript in December 2009, let it sit for a month, edited it, and researched what publishers might like it.  By February 2010, Cedar Fort offered me a contract.  I was floored!

Now here I am today--a published author, a freelance writer, and even a member of the Man Cave.  Life is good.

I want to thank my fellow man cavers for joining me in this project.  There's some real talent here, and I'm excited to be part of it.

Stay tuned to hear from another Man Cave author.