I'd like to thank Alistair MacLean for his book, Ice Station Zebra, Ian Flemming for his book, Dr. No, and Leon Uris, author of the novel QB-VII. Their works first woke up the writer in me. They made writing novels seem exciting and achievable. I once told a school librarian that I wanted to write a book, and she told me, 'That's quite an undertaking.' Words that I've always remembered.
Writing, painting, and drawing have always been a part of my life. I grew up writing stories and have spent many evenings as a teen in my parents' basement, writing novels, stage plays, and screenplays. Writing is a passion for me, and I never have difficulty coming up with new ideas.
Working as a graphic designer has been my career for many years now, and it is different from other jobs, such as being an accountant, that keep your mind constantly occupied. It gives me time to consider story ideas and situations that a reader might find fascinating. Toward this end, one might say that I’m always ‘on.’ Always thinking of that next fresh idea to terrify my readers.
In my opinion, fear is one of the strongest and most effective emotions. It can cause one to react physically, such as jumping or running away; it can even bring on death. One reason why we don’t make a practice of yelling ‘BOO’ at the elderly. I enjoy playing with this emotion and bringing it out in people. If I can make you afraid to turn out the lights again, I have done my job.
For many years, I’ve concentrated on writing and developing screenplays in either the horror or comedy genres. These have always been my favourite subjects. A few years ago, I went back to writing novels and have completed three. The public responses to my work have been very encouraging, which has only inspired me to move on to more and better projects.
I aim to create another of the classic monsters, in the tradition of Frankenstein, Dracula, or the Werewolf. To that end, I do not write about these types of creatures; rather, I endeavour to create my own. I have also self-published two books: ‘Night Beings’ and ‘Angels.’ They have received very positive reviews.
After doing all the research, the writing, and the seemingly endless editing, it's a beautiful thing to hold a finished book in my hand. Now all I have to do is hope that the readers will like it and come back for my next story. This has been the bulk of my life for the past three years. Whether writing screenplays or novels, my main concern is that the reader will approve and want to see more.
I strive to create fresh and original stories that can grab the readers and entertain them for a little while. Hopefully, I can take someone away from the reality of their lives and transport them to a different world or time when they can be fully engulfed in something new. I get a personal satisfaction out of having someone tell me that they laughed at my jokes or felt a moment of fear from the horror stories that I tell.
I grew up watching and reading about the classic monsters that captured everybody's imagination: Frankenstein, the Werewolf, the Mummy, Dracula, Godzilla, and the Creature from the Black Lagoon. In later years, a new generation of horror heroes appeared, such as Michael Myers, Leatherface, Jason Voorhees, Freddy Krueger, and the list goes on. I found myself frightened and thrilled by the stories, and went home with happy memories and a fresh fear of the dark. It left me with a hunger to try to create stories and ideas that would pass on those feelings to fans of the genre. Please check out my books and let me know if you get the same thrills and chills that I was treated to in the past.