To know that my life has a specific purpose. Although I've never aspired to governmental or political office, I know that this life is a training ground for work and service in a government to come.

Like most people, there are lots of demands for time. My vocation is with a non-profit organization, so serving, administration, training, and teaching comprise a large part of my life. Writing is a passion and hobby, but not front and center.

Either by word of mouth, or by regularly searching.

I don't remember it exactly, but I'm sure it was in elementary school. I remember, from a young age, how fulfilling I imagined it would be to be an author.

I'm not nearly as disciplined as I would like, so writing is fairly sporadic. But, certain thoughts and ideas well up inside, and writing is almost like a pressure relief valve, in which that which is bottled up inside just flows out as I write.

I think it was the Hardy Boys books that first hooked me. Reading them just drew me in, and I then realized the adventures that awaited me when I read good books.

I've only published one book so far, and I designed that cover personally. I searched through copyright-free pictures by theme, and discovered what I thought worked best. I then did the design work through Keynote for Mac, and created the cover as a .jpg. For the book I'm currently writing, I outsourced the work. I'm pleased with it, but realize I probably could have done something comparable on my own.

I really enjoy good dramatic fiction. There is nothing better than good adventure that draws you right on to the next chapter, even when you know you ought to put it down and move on to something else.

I do most of my e-reading on an iPad, with a Kindle app

I'm really a novice in this area, but I'm reading and studying all I can about marketing my book. It appears to me that just using the right keywords is vital, but I've sold so few it's hard to know. Of course, word of mouth has worked best, and I believe this is truly the most effective marketing there is. And, other authors have said the same.

I have two desks, and the one I write from is my personal desk at home. I dock my laptop to a monitor on it. My desk is minimally cluttered, but not so much so as to be a deterrent to writing. This is the place where I can best pour out my thoughts, and form them into a book.

I grew up in an extremely small town in central Indiana in the 60s and 70s. These were times of both turmoil and idealism. Assassinations and an unpopular war shaped our culture, as did the "can-do" mentality that put man on the moon. In the midst of this, I developed faith through a small country church that emphasized the biblical teaching of a coming government, the kingdom of God. I believe all of this factored in to my major writing emphasis today concerning hope. These are less hopeful times then those past decades, but the message of hope remains the same. More than ever, I feel compelled to write about this hope.

I've kept journals, off and on, since I was a child. I still have partial pages of books I started to write in my teen years. I've regularly written numerous articles for various publications in my adult life. It's only been in the past five to seven years that i've really been focused on writing books.

It's entitled, "Hope For Uncertain Times". As a pastor, I shared a sermon series on this topic several years ago. I was invited to be guest speaker for meetings at a church in Canada about a year ago, and gravitated to this theme. It was well received, and caused me to consider that nearly everyone needs substantive hope for the challenging times we live in. There really is a better future to come, and the more we know about it, the better able we are to navigate through these uncertain times.

I have a friend who writes children's books, who has worked tirelessly at being published through the traditional route. She has had modest success but, as I heard her describe the challenges she has faced, I felt that being an indie author would be the better pathway for me. With the advent and explosion of e-book publishing, I see this as a great pathway, although marketing is extremely challenging.

I am just getting started with Smashwords, so it is way too soon to tell. The multiple formats my book is made available in should be a real bonus. I've heard there is potential for 40% more sales through multiple formats. We will see, in time.

Writing is something tangible, and potentially something of a legacy. As a pastor, most of my work is with people, and is intangible by nature. That's well and good, but I think most of us have a need to do something tangible and concrete. I remember I almost floated around the house the day I received my print proof copy of my first book. I held it and turned it over repeatedly, feeling a sense of completion and satisfaction. And, at my age, I realize that which is published has potential to far exceed the limitations of my life. What a joy to think that my writings could encourage and help others many years from now!