My story ideas come from my vivid imagination, but my inspiration draws from both extensive world travel and my varied and fascinating careers. I left the US military as an x-ray technician and did an about-face in civilian life to become a hairstylist. My desire to experience the harder edge of life brought me into the Washington D.C. Police Department. To capture the gritty sights I saw, I took up photography and left the force to pursue that dream in NYC.
Later, I met a metal sculptor and became so intrigued, I converted a chicken coop in the woods into a live-in studio and taught myself the technique. From that humble beginning, the rudimentary craft expanded into the fine arts with sculptures in bronze and fiberglass and shows across the US, England and Thailand.
My passion for all arts soon segued into other areas: costume designer (top 100 designers in the book, Fashion: 2001); a modeling agency art director; fashion show designer; and on to become a top sculptor for special effects, sets and props in the entertainment industry with work in over thirty major films, hotels and theme parks worldwide. My passion for art crossed boundaries into water feature design and computer illustration.
I began writing while working as a sculptor in the film and theme park industry in Los Angeles. My first effort was a novel, but after working on many well-known films such as Aliens, Predator, The Abyss, Poltergeist 2, Beetlejuice, Independence Day, and many others, I turned my passion to screenplays. I took a number of high-profile screenwriting courses, attended many industry seminars, and belong to a long list of screenwriting organizations.
As an adjunct to screenwriting, I was mentored in film directing by Jim Pasternak, Dov S-S Simens and others, and mentored in film producing by Fred Caruso, all well-known industry professionals. Plus, I was able to pester the various actors, directors, and writers from the movies I worked on, picking their minds for creative insight. I wrote/produced/directed/edited four short student films, and a spec TV series. I wrote a Thai horror film screenplay, then produced and directed the trailer in Thailand. I’ve written 20 screenplays to date, some bought, others optioned.
To reach deeper into character and environment, I went back to narrative fiction where I’ve completed and published 9 novels in various genres. A short story is included in the anthology, Lost in Thailand. I’ve completed the first book of two, Currents of War, about a Jewish man escaping Nazi Germany, and how our greatest allies and forbidden enemies went against their own common causes.
Occasionally, I write poetry.
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Two of my novels, Original Blood, and Epiphany, were nominated for Reviewer’s Choice Awards. Epiphany won. Again, two more novels were nominated for Reviewer’s Choice Awards, Claiming Lives, and Crossing the Double Yellow. My science fiction novel, Endless Sky, placed 3rd in Reviewer’s Choice, science fiction book of the year.
My screenplay, Todd McCoy’s Adventure West, won 1st place in the action adventure category for the Table Read My Screenplay Contest, AND 1st place in the family category for the Screenplay festival Contest. Claiming Lives, won 2nd place in the One In Ten Screenwriting Contest.
On occasion, I run creative writing workshops in beautiful Chiang Mai, Thailand, where I also consult and mentor writers one-on-one to elevate their writing and help bring it to the next level. As a separate service, I provide content editing for fiction and nonfiction.
I continue on the journey.
With so much creativity on hand, I envy you. Truly!
Will dig a bit deeper now into your written works, as you have made me curious.
Whatever feedback I have, will share on one of those Sundays.
Thank you, Peter! Sorry it took so long to get back to you. I had major problems with my website server and had to change. Then they lost all my emails and took forever to get it going again. I hope you read something and let me know.