I’m excited to introduce you to my writing.
Hello, Word Lovers!
Thunderhead Rising
My gritty thriller novel, Thunderhead Rising, takes readers into dark, shady worlds and the labyrinths of the mind. It’s the first in a planned series, and I’ve begun work on the sequel. I’m revising it based on recommendations from beta readers, critiquers and a developmental editor prior to my sending it back out on submission.
Here’s a brief summary
In Portland, Oregon, divorced oncologist PETER CALDER longs for a fresh start with a new love and his two disaffected teenage children. After a disturbing confrontation with his ex-wife, Peter’s concern about his children leads him to enlist the help of his ex’s stepsister MELINDA, a lonely schoolteacher who’s a long-time friend. But Melinda has dangerous secrets that begin to imperil Peter’s carefully constructed world.
FERNANDO is the powerful, enigmatic boss of a Pacific Coast drug smuggling and human trafficking enterprise operating out of a stronghold hidden in the woods. Daring to confront his long lost brother, he encounters his niece and her best friend – Peter’s daughter. The tension mounts within the two families as they’re brought together through a series of reckless and dangerous actions on both sides. Now, Peter and Melinda must rescue innocent young victims while grappling with both their own inner demons and a brutal smuggler-trafficker before an unbreachable criminal organization swallows them all.
How I Came to Write this Novel
I was inspired to write this timely, contemporary novel when I learned Portland is a major hub for drug smuggling and human trafficking. I worked for ten years as a research assistant at a private institute funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse. We studied and made policy recommendations regarding street drug use and addiction during the rise of Mexican cartels and organized sex and labor trafficking. The insight I gained, coupled with my personal and professional experience with individuals suffering from behavioral health issues, formed the foundation of Thunderhead Rising.
For the story of my Thunderhead Rising journey, please see the News and Updates page.
My Writing: Blogs and More
Blogs
Please check out my BLOGS, Write Right! and Oregon Author, on the Blog page. I’ll be excited to have you with me as we imagine our world through words.
El Dorado
Although I’ve been a writer and editor throughout my working life, my work has been mostly academic and business oriented. I have published a few magazine and newspaper articles. But my foray into novel writing has been something new. I did publish a coming of age short story, “El Dorado,” in The Promethean, the literary arts journal of Concordia University, several years ago.
In this story, two children make some discoveries about what is truly precious. It was inspired by some of my recollections of the humor, pathos, drama, fear and wonder of childhood. It’s a reminder to me of how we writers may grow in craft knowledge, technique and sophistication over the years. But hopefully we will never lose the sheer joy telling a story gave us from our earliest efforts.
May the Words Be with You.
I’d like to extend a personal invitation to subscribe to my email list. Stay in the know! Get alerts for new articles, blogs, events, contests, lists and more, many for subscribers only. And you’ll be the first to know the latest on Thunderhead Rising!
SUBSCRIBE ON THE BLOG OR CONTACT/SIGN-UP PAGE.