OK, I’ll try to keep my story short. Well, relatively short. I'm a novelist, so short is, maybe, 300 pages. To be honest, I won't officially be a novelist until June, when my first novel, "Getting in Tune," is published by Coral Press (www.coralpress.com). But, hey, close enough.
"Getting in Tune" is what the folks at Coral Press call a work of musical fiction--in other words, "a story that rocks." My book is about Daniel Travers, a 20-year-old guitarist who drags his unwilling band out onto the road in 1976, seeking success and the redemptive promise of Pete Townshend's lost Universal Chord. Instead, what he finds is the dark underbelly of the rock 'n' roll dream and the disturbing face of his own personal demons. Ultimately, "Getting in Tune" is about the transcendent power of music and friendship. I know it sounds a little lofty, but check it out. It's a fast read and a lot of fun. Really. I promise. ("Getting in Tune" is available for preorders at Amazon.)
I came to writing in a roundabout way. Born and raised in Northern California, I started playing rock music when I was in high school. I continued to play music while I studied English and journalism at Shasta Community College, quitting college after two years for a full-time grab for the golden ring of rock 'n' roll, an experience that provided much of the fodder for my novel. Dozens of gigs later, I went back to school at Sonoma State University, this time studying economics. (Blame a girlfriend for this radical twist of fate.) Realizing that I couldn't get a decent job without a master's degree, I went on to the University of California at Davis, where they grudingly gave me the piece of paper needed to get a real job.
Since college, I've worked as an environmental economist. (Don't ask.) Along the way, I met my brilliant and talented wife Lisa. We've been married ever since, an adventure in itself. Together, we've run two marathons, hiked the 225-mile John Muir Trail, and traveled in Europe and New Zealand. I've continued to follow my muses, playing music with bands in the Sacramento area, and, of course, writing fiction. This year will be another adventure as I find out what it's like to promote a novel, and as I try to make progress on my next book.