Where did you grow up, and how did this influence your writing?
I grew up in a small town in Ohio. So small, in fact that we pretty much had to drive to another town to do anything interesting. Being mobile was essential, but all roads went and came back to the local diners, especially the 24- hour ones. It was where your night began or ended before going home to sleep. The comings-and-goings of the local 24 hour diner provided me with much needed inspiration or relief from frustration.
I've always said that if I ever get rich, I'd build a 24-hour diner in my hometown just so I would have a second home.
When did you first start writing?
I can't honestly say when I first started writing. It's something I've always just done. I have always kept notebooks and pens around to write down whatever thoughts strike my fancy. I have about 30 novels that are about 1/3 complete and I always hit a brick wall. Writer's block is my worst enemy, but I'm learning to work around it. If I get stuck on one project, I will switch gears and pick up where I left off on another project or start something new. Some day I hope to finish all of those novels, but for now I have offered the public my first anthology.
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