About Me
I love collecting and telling stories.
For as long as I can remember, tales – real and speculative – have infiltrated my daily thoughts. From the larger-than-life presence of characters in my family and community to the imaginary backstories of the dogs at a shelter, my mind teems with these narratives. And at an early age I learned that my love of stories isn’t simply about their arc or meaning, it is also about the words themselves. Syllables, words and phrases find their way into my consciousness and get stuck there. They rattle around in my thoughts – coins in a coffee can – their rhythms and tones mesmerizing until I find a way for them to escape.
As a practicing attorney, words have been my most valuable tool for over a quarter century. Words have allowed me to provide for my family. But the itch to tell stories is not scratched by drafting a contract. And so I have tried, when and where possible, to continue telling tales through blogs (thestraightmaleknitter and HoochLaw), articles for various legal journals and trade magazines, and quite a lot of poetry. I finished my first novel, HERBVANA, in 2023. My first children’s book, Louie’s Lament, hits shelves in summer 2024. The first draft of my second novel, tentatively titled The Commitment, is complete and awaiting editing – while I’ve begun work on my third, tentatively titled Acts of Service.
Current Work
Louie’s Lament
“One evening after supper, Louie ambled out onto his back porch to get some fresh air. The light of the moon, full and low over the horizon, danced on his sleek black fur. He was a handsome dog. Dignified, even. With just enough grey around his muzzle to show that he knew a thing or two about life.”
In our family – for reasons I can’t explain – our dogs come with origin stories to rival any comic book hero. Louie was no different. Although we found him in a local shelter, he claimed to be a Patagonian Stag Hound who ended up – through some unfortunate decisions involving poodles and a few mafia connections – spending time in an El Paso jail. He always did tell tall tales. One of those stories, sanitized somewhat, is now story for children. Louie’s Lament – on sale August 6, 2024. Available for order through your local bookshop (two of my local favorites are Eagle Harbor Book Co. and Saltwater Bookshop) as well as Barnes & Noble and the jungle. Alternatively, you can buy it here.
HERBVANA
“It was a mutually beneficial arrangement – symbiotic in the way of the dung beetle and the ungulates of the Serengeti although precisely who was who in that metaphor was occasionally difficult to determine.”
HERBVANA is a comedic thriller set in the days following Washington state’s legalization of recreational marijuana. Barry Jones is an illicit weed farmer who wants to go legitimate. Marshall Owens is a shady lawyer operating out of a strip-mall and looking for a payday. When they join forces to open Herbvana the cash begins flowing in but things soon turn deadly.
HERBVANA now available on Bookshop.org, B&N and Amazon, as well as a few local independent bookshops. If you’re inclined to grab a copy – I’d love it if you supported one of those shops (any of which can order it if they don’t have it in stock). Consider stopping by Eagle Harbor Book Co., Saltwater Bookshop, or Liberty Bay Books – they’re a few of my favorites. And if you want to buy it on the jungle website, you can do that here.
