My intention was to write a book that would provide practical advice to teachers, and at the same time, celebrate the achievement of the students I taught at Traner Middle School, an "at-risk" school located in Reno, NV. I wrote the majority of the book on a personal retreat with my wife at Asilomar State Park, located on the shores of the Pacific Ocean in Pacific Grove, CA.

My motivation to become an indie author was based on two things: most importantly, I believed that my experiences as a teacher, as described in my book, could truly benefit other teachers; and, I believed in myself as an entrepreneur.

Smashwords provides me with a distribution mechanism and the public relations capacity to reach a worldwide audience. The potential of ebooks will continue to be realized and Smashwords is leading the way.

The writing process requires persistence, determination, and staying in the "now." The joy comes in the realization of creating a unique work through ideas and positive thought.

I am currently working on a collection of short stories that celebrate family and friendship with themes of love, hope, and inspiration. The first of these stories will be posted on my personal blog.

There are so many. While studying English at the University of Washington, my favorite authors included William Faulkner, Ken Kesey, Tom Robbins, and Thomas Berger, to name a few. I had the privilege of being a creative writing student in James Welch's classes. At the time, mid-1970's, James had just published his first novel, Winter in the Blood, and he, for obvious reasons, became one of my favorite authors. His novel, The Heartsong of Charging Elk, is a beautiful work. As a sports enthusiast, I have always enjoyed the work of Frank Deford, Thomas Boswell, Rick Reilly, and Mitch Albom. In education, anything written by Jay Mathews is a must read.

I love my work as the principal of a Catholic grade school -- it is meaningful and important as I have the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of every student.

I grew up in Santa Clara, CA, and attended grade school in the 1960's. The collection of short stories that I am currently working on, includes some reminiscing about growing up in the prune orchards, cherry orchards, pear orchards, that would become Silicon Valley.

I hope I have a few.