About

I binge read Dune during Thanksgiving break; it threw me into even more of a tailspin than the math and computer science classes had. Who were these characters? What sort of mind could come up with this kind of fiction? This world? It was the final shove that sent me over the edge. I knew I had to become a novelist, damn the consequences.

I don’t know what else I could possibly be. Sure, I’ll always have some IT tinkerer in me. I like linux and use open source software whenever possible. But it’s not something I want to do professionally. From then to now, I knew, I had to tell stories.

I’ve lived in many places across North America as well as on a yacht in the South Pacific. While living in New Mexico (a U.S. state, in case you were wondering), surrounded by the 8 Northern Pueblos, I was immersed in the region’s Native and Mexican American cultures.

In the South Pacific, we were invited to a traditional Fijian feast held by one of the island tribes. The village of Somosomo was the only one with a female chief. As we walked between the torches, the captain of the yacht told me the tribe were cannibals only a few generations ago. I was twelve at the time, and terrified as we walked under Somosomo’s only electric light. Their single generator cranked away somewhere nearby.

I wish I hadn’t been such a picky eater at the time, because my mother says it’s one of the best meals she’s ever had. Thankfully, I didn’t become one of the dishes. At least, I don’t think so. Maybe this is all an afterlife hallucination.

Exposure to so many different cultures growing up made me realize how alike we all are; 2020 and the following years have shown me just how hard it is for most people to realize that.

I’ve spent the last several years researching East Asian (Mostly Chinese) and South American history/culture for my upcoming debut novel—a dark, epic, historical fantasy called The First Ogre King Book I. (No the em dash — is not an AI long hyphen -. It’s real punctuation that’s existed for centuries. Get over it.)

I’ll be using my IT background in my second book, a post-apocalyptic cyberpunk space opera. That story was actually the first that came to me after reading Dune, but it was too big and complex for a newbie writer. After many years of research, along with writing and rewriting Ogre King, I’m finally ready for it.

Once those two book are out, my fantasy and sci-fi worlds will finally be out there. I plan for most if not all of my stories to take place in one of those universes. No, they aren’t connected. There’s my fantasy setting and my sci-fi setting.

The cat on my shoulder is Miko, a Russian Blue. I would say she’s my writing assistant, but her sister is usually the one on my desk while I’m trying to work. She’s a tuxedo.

You’ll get free access to the first five chapters of The First Ogre King Book 1 when you sign up for my reader group below.