| I'm Texas born, and have lived here my entire life. Although somewhat older than the photograph on the left, I’ve never truly grown up. (Just ask anyone who knows me!) The history of this great state has always intrigued me, and that’s why all of my stories are based in Texas. I think my past experiences gave me insight into what I write about – I’ve lived in small towns and on farms, and spent many a summer on ranches my grandfather worked. Growing up, horses and history were two of my passions, and living away from cities nurtured my creative side. We raised just about any type of animal known – or at least it felt like it. Horses, cows, pigs (ugh!), chickens, rabbits, goats (did you know they can climb trees?), just to name a few. I felt like Old MacDonald. Still, I wouldn’t have traded a moment of it for anything. Some of my past experiences include flipping hamburgers at a fast food restaurant, stocking a grocery store, playing "cowboy" with longhorns and buffalo (while working one summer at a State Park south of Abilene - those critters stink!), dispatching burglar & fire alarms and remotely programming alarm systems. I've driven a garbage truck, cleaned swimming pools, and mowed more grass than I care to remember. I've been interested in books and storytelling since I was a child. One of my favorite memories is sitting by my grandfather and listening to him tell stories about working in the oil fields and of working most of his life on a ranch. When I was a bit older, I would rewrite the endings to television shows, or come up with my own "episodes" altogether. Little did I know that my imagination would one day lead me to where I am now. Getting up the nerve to post my writing to the Internet in 1999 brought me more than I could have ever hoped for. I met my future wife, Jan, when she wrote me about one of my stories. September 12, 2003, we stood before friends and family in Toronto, Canada, and became legally married. It was one of the greatest moments of my life. After I posted the Lex and Amanda stories, Destiny's Bridge and Faith's Crossing on the Internet, Renaissance Alliance Publishing, Inc. offered me a contract to publish the two stories as a single book. It was a chance of a lifetime. Destiny's Crossing was followed by Hope's Path, which brought along Love's Journey, Strength of the Heart, The Way Things Should Be, and finally, released in April 2008, To Hold Forever. I've also written two stand-alone novels, Something to be Thankful For, and Diving into the Turn, although some of the locations in the last book may be familiar to those who have read the Lex and Amanda stories. Destiny's Bridge, Faith's Crossing, Hope's Path, Love’s Journey and Strength of the Heart have been reprinted by Regal Crest Enterprises, LLC. Now that Lex and Amanda have given me a breather, I'm hard at work at a new story. It's called Piperton, and it's a little different from most of my other work. Although it's set in the fictional small town of Piperton, there's no ranches, horses, or cowgirls. Here's a little summary: Sam Hendrickson has been traveling around the Southwest for ten years, never staying in one place long enough to call it home. Doing odd jobs to pay for her food and gas, she thinks her life is fine, until fate intervenes. On her way to Dallas to find work for the upcoming winter, her car breaks down in the small town of Piperton. Sam’s never concerned herself over what other people think, but the small minds of a West Texas town may be more than she bargained for – especially when she meets Janie Clarke. We'll see how it goes. I'm going to post the chapters on my Yahoo chat list - you can join by clicking the link on main page of this site. Hope to see you there! -Carrie |
