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Love, Work, and the Other Things

Love, Work, and the Other Things is a collection of stories written over two decades. Some stories won awards for fiction and previously appeared in small-press publications. Some remain buried in slush piles on editors’ sideboards. All span the spectrum of “coming of age” experiences that begin in youth and continue through adulthood. Growing up in Seattle, Washington, and moving to Southern California as a teenager, the stories range from first love at summer camp in the Pacific Northwest to the endurance of regular employment and the rare privilege of self-reflection in times of sufficient financial stability. The stories are fiction, dramatized memoir, and heightened documentary. They were written not just to entertain, but also in a relentless, lifelong search to uncover the fundamental truths of the human condition. In this, my effort is no different from the efforts of other writers who chose to examine with unbiased focus life's vicissitudes, disappointments, compromises, triumphs, and transcendent joys. It is a continuing inquiry written one page at a time. With time and a little good luck, more pages shall follow.

Available now at Amazon.

 

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Hard Reset

MARTIN GARDENS had been a mid-level corporate manager, a fiancé, a drunk, an automobile mechanic, a fugitive arsonist and finally, a private investigator. Each he pursued with earnest conviction but there was only one in which he demonstrated natural talent. And it scared the hell out of him. Add a stray, brindle-coat Boxer with a mangled ear that resembled his own and a mottled British sportscar more family member than transport, the equation equals one last chance for a fresh start; one last chance for a hard reset. You choose a direction and it begins. What happens next is not so much about planning as it is about luck. Life unfolds; a path beckons. Routine and obligation and occasional joy fill the empty places. With a little luck, even love. With a lot of luck, happiness. The pieces fall together and you find a fit; you are what you do. The tracks in the snow tell the story.

 

Available now at Amazon.

 

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Dog Lessons
How Raising a Guide Dog Taught Me to See

It takes more than a single incident to change a person's life. It takes a single incident, a New Year's Day parade, and one vociferous English Lab.
 

Writer John Edward White wasn't intending to make a change, but circumstances forced his hand. Marooned in a dead-end career, personal salvation was found in the shape of industry downsizing and a televised parade for a middle-aged man suddenly forced to confront the things that scared him the most. With a single telephone call, White embarked on a journey that began with a year of intense volunteering and concluded with the single most significant change in his life. The path from pretentious, self-centered yuppie to compassionate, self-aware citizen required a Guide Dog puppy to teach him to see what was truly valuable. The transition with each training session was equal part dog and man; the result from the training was equal part success and failure. The lessons learned and experiences shared became a compelling narrative of change for both.
 

Available now at Amazon.

 

 

 

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And now IPPY Silver Medal recipient of the eLit Illuminating Digital Publishing Excellence Award.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

AND COMING SOON!

THE SECOND INSTALLMENT IN THE MARTIN GARDENS SERIES.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Piece of the Rock

 

The thing about a sucker punch is that every sign is clear after the fact. Discarding of cigarette, spreading feet in a loaded stance, the flair of nostrils as if some imminent act requires additional oxygen; in retrospect there is no doubt as to what comes next. Martin was in over his head this time. And it wasn't the first time. Two beatings in as many weeks. Two collections of contusions and abrasions scarring an already well-scarred, middle-aged body. Not much to do but keep pushing forward, turning over rocks, taking the battle to those who had started it in the first place. The next time would be different; the next time he'd be armed. It was personal, now. Someone hurts Stray and the stakes are raised. No longer is this simply a surveillance case of a cheating spouse; now it's personal. And that someone will pay.