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As a former courier behind the old Iron Curtain, I have met gulag and death camp survivors whose stories of triumph and survival continue to inspire. I've also worked as a journalist in downtown Los Angeles, interviewing homeless and displaced refugees living in cardboard boxes. I love hearing stories of accomplishment, endurance, faith, and perseverance. I love writing, travel, hiking, watching really good hiphop dancing, studying old maps, researching legends, exploring, tinkering, cooking (my faves are homemade pizza, lasagna, apple pie, most anything Mexican including my favorite, the "naked margarita" - although Connor makes a terrific Pisco Sour). When I celebrate a book or film deal, I cook for friends. I love entertaining others. However, my #1 interest is my beautiful wife, Wendy. She definitely tops the list.
Adventurers, pushers of the envelope, people of faith and conviction, people who encourage others, outspoken people who also listen, other writers, readers and lovers of books, anyone who can tell a good story (or a good joke), filmmakers who are tired of the hackneyed Hollywood formula, romantics, Oprah (she's certainly the queen of extravagance but leads the pack when it comes to helping others), Sylvester Stallone (he made crooked faces look good). And last but certainly not least - I love gutsy go-for-it people. That's also my philosophy. As my old friend Walker Hanson said, "You can't walk on water if you don't get out of the boat." Go for it!
Top 40. Country rock. Hanson. The Veronicas. Benise.
Tears of the Sun, Gladiator, Love Actually, Thomas Crown Affair, Rocky, Cinderella Man, Seabiscuit, Blood Diamond, Transformers, Cellular, Big John (oops, that's my script!) I guess I should also include Rambo III. If I hadn't gone to that movie with Fredrick back in 1988, I never would have met my wife.
24, Bones, NCIS, Grey's Anatomy, Criminal Minds, The Unit, CSI - all of which are great, but I sure do miss The West Wing...
Where do I begin? I love reading and have covered much of the literary spectrum: theology, philosophy, archaeology, anthropology, sociology, psychology, the effect of electrolytes on intracellular and extracellular fluid ratios --- and that's just my comic book collection. I've poured through many of the classics, enjoyed poetry (I've even written one that sold, I think, six copies in a ten year period), eaten my way through many a cookbook (I've written one of these, too), and once - to my astonishment - sat and read the dictionary for several hours and loved it! I've read some really good chick lit, too (I'm a romantic at heart). Bottom line - there's some awesome writers out there and I'm proud to be part of that artistic community. But as to what I read - these days, I steer toward political intrigue, romance and mystery set in cool international settings. Otherwise, I read labels to make sure there's no artificial ingredients, hormones, or bug parts.
My heroes are people with courage. What's courage? It's being scared out of your socks but rising to the occasion, conquering your fear and doing what needs to be done. So, who are my heroes? There are lots of heroes in the Bible and that's one reason I like the Bible. It's full of stories about people with flaws and faith. Otherwise, my heroes are the men and women in the military who serve with honor and integrity and a love of family. My heroes are also teachers and aid workers, who give their lives in service to others. Another pair of heroes are Byron Moats and karate legend Jim Harrison, who taught me how to fight and when to fight, but to not love fighting. I also admire Shelley Mann, who had polio as a child and was severely crippled, but through sheer determination, perseverance and training learned how to swim and went on to win the gold medal in the 100m butterfly at the 1956 Olympics. And also Big John Levi - a 1920s Native American fullback who played for Haskell Institute in Lawrence, KS. He and my dad were close friends and I grew up on stories about Big John. Jim Thorpe called Levi the greatest athlete he had ever seen. But he also had problems. Yet in spite of those problems, he took time out for kids and for helping others. He was a true overcomer. I admire that quality.