I think it was Stephen King who once said that his ideas start with, "I wonder what would happen if..." I get my ideas much the same way. I enjoy taking ordinary people and throwing them into extraordinary situations. I get to know my characters by how they respond to what gets thrown at them. One of my favorite TV shows of all time is 'Breaking Bad,' because of this exact reason. People, by choice or circumstance, are tossed into situations way over their heads, and it either corrupts them or makes them stronger.

I grew up the suburbs of Fort Worth, Texas. I was an only child, so I spent hours at a time alone with my imagination. I would act out elaborate stories in my backyard, or with my GI Joe action figures in my room. This is where I discovered my love of story. Later, in college, when playing with GI Joes was no longer socially acceptable, I discovered the joy of creating stories with the written word.

I wrote a few pieces here and there as a kid, but it never crossed my mind to be a writer. I started college as a pre-med student, and it wasn't until I took a number of courses that I realized my brain was more comfortable and excited by the language arts than science. I took a trip to Switzerland mid-way through school, and it was there that I realized that I was most comfortable in my skin when I was putting down thoughts and ideas on paper. I returned from Europe, changed my major to English, and never looked back.

I am currently working on a novel called "Wrecked." It is about a man who, after the untimely death of his wife, walked away from his career and his life and started wandering. He is walking down a rural Colorado road when he witnesses a fatal car crash. He discovers the car is full of money. He takes the money, setting off a chain of events that, like 'Weekend Getaway,' introduces him to dangerous characters and a life-or-death fight.

When I chose to study English in college, it was with the naive idea that many young people have that I'd be able to write fiction and comfortably live out the life of a successful author, perhaps with a cabin in the woods somewhere. When reality settled in, I chose the next best thing: journalism. It gave me a successful career and wonderful experiences, but I never lost that love of fiction. I wrote my first novel, 'Weekend Getaway,' with an understanding that it would fulfill a personal goal and likely never leave my desk drawer. A friend, who was an early adopter of eBooks, convinced me to publish it and designed a cover for me. Today, the book has earned 4.5 out of 5 stars in the reviews and been read by hundreds of people. I don't expect to make a living off of it, but it is cool to know people are reading - and enjoying - my work.

My biggest struggle as an Indie writer is finding time, as I'm sure is the case with most Indie authors. I have a demanding full time job as a hospital marketing director, so writing sadly takes the back burner more often than not. Smashwords has provided me with the convenience to publish quickly, do some basic initial marketing, and make my book available with various retailers.

I love the power of language, plain and simple. There is something amazing about putting together words in a way that invokes emotion, speaks meaning, or creates a powerful image that is so incredibly fulfilling. And, of course, it is a joy to create people, worlds and scenes from your imagination and have them come to life on the page.

I love the power of language, plain and simple. There is something amazing about putting together words in a way that invokes emotion, speaks meaning, or creates a powerful image that is so incredibly fulfilling. And, of course, it is a joy to create people, worlds and scenes from your imagination and have them come to life on the page.

I can never answer this question, because I admire so many different writers for different reasons. One of my favorite's when it comes to pure entertainment is Carl Hiaasen, whose unique brand of humor keeps me rolling. I also love plenty of pop writers such as Stephen King and Lee Childs. When it comes to literature, I turn to Hemingway. Like I said, I can't seem to pick just one.

There is still much work to do on "Wrecked" before it is ready to be published. I've written one short story in what I hope may become a series about a hospital PR guy and former newsman who solves mysteries. Crazy things happen at hospitals, I know from personal experience.

Creating time in which I have enough mental energy to do good work. Some of my best writing has come when I've taken our travel trailer to the mountains, alone with my laptop. But that's not practical enough to be routine, and at home the distractions make serious writing difficult.