When you're not writing, how do you spend your time?
My "day" job is operating the 4-meter and 3.5-meter telescopes at Kitt Peak National Observatory in Southern Arizona. Basically, I work from sunset to sunrise every other week helping astronomers get the best data they can when they're awarded research time at our facilities. When I'm not doing that, I like traveling around the Southwest. I'm just back from a trip to the Alamo in San Antonio, Texas. Last summer, I visited Tombstone, Arizona. My other hobby is cooking. I'm especially fond of Mexican and Cajun/Creole dishes.
When did you first start writing?
I've been writing as long as I can remember. I was probably about eight years old when I announced to my parents that I wanted to be a writer. They rolled their eyes and suggested that I should think about other career options. The next time I approached them, I told them I wanted to be an astronomer. That resulted in another eye-roll. I first attempted to become disciplined about writing in high school and college friends remember me writing in breaks between classes or whenever I had a little free time. I got serious about publishing my writing in 1993 when I wrote my first novel, "The Pirates of Sufiro." Along the way, I also pursued my dream of becoming an astronomer, and I have worked at a number of observatories around the southwestern United States.
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