BEING AN INDIE FICTION writer is no walk in the park. When you have no agent, editor or publisher in your corner, ordinary tasks such as getting your books into bookstores and libraries can become time-consuming and deflating. When I published my first short story collection in 2019, I initially…

I MET TAYLOR HAWKINS a few times in the early 1990's when he was working at Music House in Lake Forest, CA. Music House was the main music store in town, and it had become a hangout for local musicians. I wasn’t fortunate enough to grow up in the 1960’s…

WITH THE PANDEMIC CONTINUING to rip through California unchallenged, I am presented with a very limited set of choices — stay in the house or explore nature. Although surfing is a big part of my life, there’s only so much paddling and duck diving and getting smashed on the head…

I RECENTLY COMPLETED writing a commercially acceptable book by accident. Perhaps I should rephrase — when I put the finishing touches on the manuscript for my new book, I realized that it was more mainstream than my previous books. It’s a novella for young readers about an encounter at a…

At 5:10 AM on a cold winter morning five years ago I stumbled myself out of bed, threw my wetsuit and surfboard into my car, and raced down to the Newport Beach jetties to catch a few waves before the crowds arrived. When I got out of my car the…

I HAD BEEN RATHER nervous about my first author event this month. The event included a reading from two of my books, along with a book signing. Although my anxiety was getting the best of me, I eventually realized something important — writing is not performance art. The important work…

STUDYING THE ANCIENT Chinese philosophy of Tao can be frustrating at times. Tao is there, but then it’s not. It provides guidance, but then it doesn’t. …

I HAVE ALWAYS been an early-morning surfer for two reasons: (1) the waves are good; (2) I can’t stand crowds in the water. For years I have been trotting across the sand with my board tucked beneath my arm at sunrise, watching as far too many middle-aged surfers stand by…

ALL I CAN REALLY TELL you is that I started writing 3 ½ years ago, but I can’t explain why or how. I can try to express to you how it felt to begin writing, but I may not do a very good job. When I embarked on my first…