I've wanted to be a writer since I was in the second grade, when I wrote poems about my family, trying to emulate Dr. Seuss, one of my favorite authors then and still today. I still love writing children's stories when I am not writing adult fiction. In the fourth grade, my father introduced me to Edgar Allan Poe, and I have been a lover of horror stories ever since. He is the biggest influence on my adult fiction, but there are also three other authors that I need to cite. In Clive Barker's book, "The Damnation Game," I had never seen such visceral horror on the written page. Thomas Harris's book, "The Silence of the Lambs," was terrifying, and I wanted to be able to create that kind of world with my writing. And Stephen King's book, "On Writing," should be required reading for any creative writing course. I think writers become writers because we love to read. My work reflects those I admire, and I hope that even though I stand on the shoulders of those who came before me, my literary voice is unique and continues to evolve. My children's books reflect a love for animals and nature with the intent of helping children not only learn to read but also learn to love reading. My poetry collections are moments of reflection that most often take place in nature, where I am able to connect to my spiritual roots. My book, From Sorrow To Tomorrow, was the recipient of the Georgia Independent Author of the Year Award in 2023 for best collection of poetry. It is about moving from a dark place when my dog, Oreo, was attacked by another dog and almost died, to one of joy when she healed. It documents her and my journey with her, as she and I both healed. That experience changed my life and view of the world around me forever. I owe a lot to Wendell Berry and his collection of poetry, A Timbered Choir to the formation of that book. In 2024, my poetry collection, Slowly, I Grow, won the Georgia Independent Author of the Year Award. It is a book about nature, faith, and family. In 2025, my poetry collection, Spiritual Roots, was a finalist for the Georgia Independent Author of the Year Awards. My short story collections are morality tales at their core. They can be sentimental reflections of the past, stories that will make you want to keep a light on at night when you go to bed, or horror stories that are a roller coaster of emotion meant to shock the senses. My book, Grimmer Folk Stories, was based on Grimm's Fairy Tales and won the Georgia Independent Author of the Year Award for best short story collection in 2022. If you ever read the original Grimm's Fairy Tales, you will see they are horrifying stories to read to children. I suppose back in the 1600's, it was considered a good idea to scare the child into doing good. When I read the stories, I knew immediately they would make great horror stories for adults. My short story collection, Idioms, is a collection of stories based upon idioms, but the tale always interprets the idiom differently from its original meaning. Sometimes, the story has a bit of nostalgia humor. Other times, the story is an emotional glimpse into the past, and a few of them have a supernatural twist that will surprise you. If you love Ray Bradbury's short stories, you will love Idioms. I certainly am not comparing myself to Ray Bradbury, but he is, without a doubt, my favorite writer of short stories. I tried to write a book Ray would have liked. It won the Georgia Independent Author of the Year Award in 2024 for best fiction. My novel Litter is a mystery/thriller that takes place in Augusta, Georgia, and was the recipient of the Georgia Independent Author of the Year Award for best horror/thriller in 2022. The horror in this book comes from two sources: psychological horror created by the main character's secrets (The litter/ baggage or secrets we all carry, and in this book, there are some secrets a few will kill to keep hidden) and nature which has creatures that instill horror just by their presence,and can be deadly when not handled appropriately. My novel The Cures, is a science fiction thriller that is filled with realistic scientific technology that readers of this genre will love, The heroes are flawed and compelling. They have all overcome horrible beginnings in life and with the technology created by Dr. Po, they are able to change the world for the better and within themselves, find the peace they had always sought. It was the recipient of the Georgia Independent Author of the Year Award in 2023 for best Science Fiction.I am an avid book lover like you, and I write books that I think you would love reading, regardless of the genre. Thank you for reading my books and your support. I am following a dream with each word I write.
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