I'm a former newspaper reporter, advertising salesman, and specialty newspaper publisher (antiques) turned book writer. Words and I have a history, and we've been on and off, hot and cold. We've had break-ups and make-ups. During all this, I've lived in Seagrove, Wilmington, Robbins, Raleigh, and Greensboro, all North Carolina towns, in that order. Then, being still young and dumb, and feeling practically invincible, I tried Richmond, VA, Phoenix, AZ, and Hot Lanta, Georgia, called Atlanta by some folks. Now, I've landed in Florida, close to a mouse with big ears.

I will read most any book EXCEPT fiction, including encyclopedias and dictionaries (well, a page or two every few years). That's a pity because multitudes love fiction and it's where the big money is, and I should be reading it to learn how to write it. That's okay, though, because enough money is enough when you really think about it.

Biographies, adventure stories, how-tos, histories, and art books stay the longest in my forever evolving bookcases scattered through most every room in my home. I have a dozen bookcases of all varieties and size; a couple came from big box office supply stores but most came from local thrift shops, which I haunt weekly in search of old and rare books.

I have lost and regained the same ten to fifteen pounds at least a dozen times during my life. I made a resolution to stop drinking coffee on April 15, 2009, and have not had one cup since. Of course, I took up with green tea soon thereafter and now drink five or six cups of the stuff every day. I have a cat named Fraidycat who I believe was a human in an earlier existence.