I live in southern California with my wife and two boys. I will be 40 years old on my next birthday. I have a stable career (18 years down, 7 to go), but am always looking for new things to try in my time off from work. Cars have been a life-long passion for me. (visit my web site, MyVwSite.com to see some of it) Most of my experience has been with the old German cars, but I've recently gotten into the hot rodding scene as well. My 1956 Chevy Bel Air Sport Coupe is a source of great enjoyment for me.

I like to play golf. I seem to be getting worse as I get older, but can still hold my own most of the time. I make my own beer. I also enjoy playing the guitar, but it's hard to find the time these days. And finally ... I enjoy creative writing.

I read a lot of fiction. My favorite authors right now are Dean Koontz, Stephen King, and John Grisham. These guys really know how to write effectively. Sure, I like some of their stories more than others, but the quality of writing never changes. It's always a pleasure to read them.

During the summer of 2006, between my car projects, I found myself with some time. I got to thinking, how hard would it be to write a novel? They're just words on a page after all. So ... just like with my car projects, I started heavily researching the subject before I started.

I brain stormed three story ideas, chose one, and outlined it from beginning to end. (I used a program called "Writer's Cafe." It really helped organize the whole thing.) I built characters, I chose settings, and I created time lines. So, when all that was complete, the only thing left to do was write. My story and characters evolved in ways I didn't anticipate as I went. So, my outline rippled as the story was written. It took me 4 1/2 months to complete the story.

It actually turned out OK. I was happy with it. Then, after about 7 rewrites, it was a little better. Just for fun I thought I'd try to sell it. Why not, huh? Only the cost of some postage would be lost. I researched the way to write proper book proposals, query letters, and synopses. I researched preferred manuscript formats - margins, font sizes, font types, etc. (The industry is very particular about these things.) I've heard your proposal or manuscript can get thrown away if these industry "standards" are not followed -- without even being read! So ... I spent a lot of time on all that stuff. I probably spent 15 hours on the one-page query letter alone. (but will never do that again ... )

After I was satisfied with everything, I began the search for a literary agent. Again, I really did my research. Anyway, I believe I submitted my query to 23 literary agents. I received 23 rejections. There's a saying in the industry that goes something like, "You can't get an agent until you're published, but you can't get published until you have an agent." Nice.

I just about gave up at that point, but then stumbled across the self-publishing industry on the Internet. I chose iUniverse.com. After many more rewrites, help from one of their professional editors, and about 4 months, my book is now published. I think it turned out great. My cousin, Tyler Stout, did the front cover graphics. Visit his web site at www.tstout.com. He does some amazing art work!

The whole process was an invaluable learning experience. I would highly recommend iUniverse.com to anybody out there interested in self-publishing.

If you're ready to take a break from your favorite fiction author and try something new, please consider this book. It's a fiction mystery/thriller. I gave this project my all. Click the "How to buy" tab at the top of the page to buy the book. It is available in Hard back, paperback, or eBook format.

Thanks.