During my childhood, I spent my time hiking and exploring in the woodland areas of the Mohawk Valley, which was located on the southern border of the Adirondack Mountains in upstate New York. We lived in a predominantly Italian American neighborhood in Herkimer County. My brothers and I were always roaming through the local woodlands in search of wild berries. We traversed many streams and gorges looking for ancient treasures such as arrowheads lost by the long-gone Mohawk Indians. At times we played in remaining segments of the dry Erie Canal, which seemed like a huge cavern to us, with its sides still supported by huge stone blocks.
By the time I was a sophomore, we had moved to Southern California. I graduated from Santa Ana High School and continued on to Santa Ana College. From there, I resumed my studies at California State University at Fullerton and graduated with a BA in Psychology.
During my college years, I worked as a musician and played local venues. Playing nightclubs was never a guarantee for a steady income, so after I obtaining my degree, I worked as a substitute teacher and then went on to Chapman College to get a teaching credential.
While teaching, I started taking evening classes and received a MA in Education through an extension course from the University of San Francisco.
A few years later, I took night classes and got a supplementary teaching credential in Science. I remained a science teacher until I stopped teaching.
In 1998, I recorded a CD, which was a collaboration of original songs with a college teacher friend who was also musician. At that point, I found the music business was too cutthroat; so, disillusioned, I pulled up stakes and moved to Mexico. I missed the entertainment world; therefore, I started frequenting Karaoke bars and learned to sing in Spanish.
After about ten years in Mexico, I packed up again and this time moved to Las Vegas. There is never a dull moment in Sin City, and once you adjust to the heat of the summer, it’s a great place to live. During the hottest part of the summer, I usually return to my beach home in Mexico to cool off.
I started writing as an expressive outlet for my creative side, and I found that I loved it as much as I do music. I still keep a guitar handy and who knows—maybe I’ll start to compose music again.
Q: What inspired you to write this book?
A: Actually, the process of writing stimulated my imagination. I’ve had an idea for a book in the back of my mind for several years. One day, I decided to sit down and write to see what flowed naturally from my subconscious. Before I knew it, three hours had passed, and I’d developed the beginning of a novel. I decided that if I’m ever going to write the novel submerged in my mind, I had to write a complete story-length manuscript to prove to myself that I could do it. Incidents at Balboa was the result.
Q: Why did you choose a Science Fiction/Romance theme?
A: I love science fiction dealing with alien encounters; such ideas strikes close to the heart of my own beliefs.
The romance theme developed early as a fundamental element to the plot because I felt that love is something that we as humans need and seek in our constant search for fulfillment.
Q: Who are your favorite writers?
A: I enjoy reading some of the writers of the past such as Huxley and Dostoyevsky, and Hemingway. I read everything I can by Dean Koontz, Robin Cook, Steven King, and Nora Roberts.
Q: What do you do when you’re not writing?
A: If it’s wintertime, you can always find me at a ski resort. I love to ski, although it requires full concentration and physical effort. At the end of the day there is nothing like sitting down with a glass of wine and just relaxing with friends.
Q: Will there be a sequel to Incidents at Balboa?
A: If I have requests for a sequel, I have many ideas involving Michael, Laura, and Michelle. Alex and Christy are also another story brewing in my mind.
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