Growing up in different places around the world had a profound effect on me. I learned new languages. I experienced diverse cultures, unintentionally siphoning off of each one. With each move came--sometimes disconcerting--readjustment, and for a kid or an adolescent that presented big changes. Later, as an adult, I continued to seek out situations where I was the visitor, the foreigner, where I could see other peoples' worlds through fresh eyes. Such experiences have given me at least some insight into the global mean, although, admittedly, the more I learn about this planet, the more it baffles me.

Absolutely! Smashwords was my introduction to publishing online and while it took time to familiarize myself with the protocol behind setting up a manuscript, now that I have a decent grasp on the ins-and-outs, I can focus on the writing and the marketing of my creative undertakings.

After finishing my MA in Creative Writing, I realized I had a few manuscripts that I wanted to flesh out and share. My wife and I look back fondly on our time in the Indian Himalayas, and the birth of our daughter, Akela, was perhaps the most cathartic experience of our young married lives. I wanted to tell that story exactly as it had unfolded, how Tanya and I remembered it, not tampered with by an overzealous editor/publisher. Like so many indie authors, in this case I wanted complete control over the story and the final product. Looking back, it was the right road to take for this memoir and a few other pieces.

'Monsoon Baby' is the true story of a fumbling ex-pat couple expecting their first baby during the monsoon in the Indian Himalayas. From their arrival at Woodstock International School (a 160-year-old boarding school) to the birth of their daughter, these comical and bittersweet memories paint a vivid picture of a couple living abroad, and take us on a journey into teaching, married life, adventure, friendship, fatherhood and the profound value of moving outside of ones comfort zone.

I am always deeply touched by honest feedback from readers. I am most profoundly moved when something I've written strikes a chord, or jogs a memory or motivates someone to do something and they consequently make the effort to let me know about it.

I am currently working on a novel 'Lavender', a story about a family haunted by the spirit of a young girl (or so they believe). 'Lavender' follows the strange events that unfold while the family vacations in the farm country near Silverton, Oregon, a town with a few ghosts and hidden secrets of its own....

My favourites are all over the map, and depend largely on my mood. I consume a lot of non-fiction (adventure stories, histories, scientific discovery etc.). While I love so many of the 'great' writers (Poe, Dickens, Conrad, Steinbeck, Harper, Marquez,...), I'd have to say that among more contemporary writers I'm repeatedly drawn to the diversity of Paul Theroux (Riding the Iron Rooster, The Mosquito Coast) and, unashamedly, Stephen King. And there is always that 'kid' part of me that keeps reading Tove Jansson (the Moomintroll series), C.S. Lewis, J.K. Rowling and the list is long.

The sheer exuberance of life and knowing that there are those in the world who love me, despite my flaws.

Spending time with family, friends and animals, making documentaries, photographing, adventuring, leading expeditions, climbing, hiking, exploring, and returning to nature....

The first story I wrote (at least the one I have in my possession), was from Grade 2 or 3, "Digalbo and Dildo", an apparent rip off of J.R.R. Tolkien's world, a tale of blind quest. My teacher must have had a field day. It received an 'A'.

I might be one of the lucky few who rarely, if ever, suffers from writer's block. There are days when things roll, others when I'm all herky-jerky. But the writing always comes. Because I'm not a full time writer, I write when I can (sacrilege!), and my work flow depends on the material I'm writing. Some days I'll just research. Others I'll just write. Sometimes I'll interrupt bad writing to edit film, go for a hike, hang out with family, and go back to the writing when my brain is refreshed. Some stories are carefully planned. Others come to me spontaneously, as I write. I'm bad at predicting the natural birth of a story. That said, writing is where I feel most comfortable, and I love to slip away from one immediate reality into another.