Where did you grow up, and how did this influence your writing?
I was born in Memphis, TN, and WWII took us to FL, TX, AZ, and CA. My parents considered the farm near Waverly, TN to be home, but my dad's primary occupation was carpentry, and we traveled about from job to job adding OH to the list of states. The moving created a strong wanderlust, and I continued to be mobile as I have been. I grew up poor, but we were never hungry or without shelter. I attended the first and second grades in the same one-room country school as my dad.
The American Dream was alive then and jobs were plentiful. Liberty was taken for granted and school prayer, and the pledge of allegiance were the start of each school day. The America I knew back then exists no more. I love science fiction, and I write to influence the reader to evaluating our present society.
I worked my way through college with a wife and two children, and unlike most youngsters today, I emerged from college debt free.
When did you first start writing?
I started my first novel while I was a coast to coast truck driver. The travel allowed me to earn a good living while feeding my wanderlust. The laptop on the steering wheel helped pass away many long hours of otherwise idle time. My writing took on a higher priority when I retired. My first novel, "WHEN THE gODS GO ASTRAY" was published under the pseudonym OF Curtis Hatch. I learned that writing, editing, cover design, and self-publishing is much easier than selling the book.
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