People have asked me what inspires me to write. When I was a young boy it was the action world of heroes and villains. I based my childhood stories on comic book characters, and created settings in distant, exotic places. It was fun to put the characters in impossible situations and see them defy the odds and live to fight another day.

In time the adventure stories gave way to more realistic situations. I realized that it often takes more courage to face everyday life than to face the perils in make-believe worlds. I’ve discovered that the real inspiration for me is the theme of love. What a difference love can make in the world. In this age of growing despair and increasing calamities, I feel it’s important to have faith that love can overcome the obstacles we face. Or at least help us endure them. I believe in its redemptive power. And what a difference that has made in my writing.

The Anniversary Waltz comes out in May 2012. Check it out and see what you think.

I’m a schoolteacher by profession and a writer at heart. I’ve always loved to write, be it stories, poems, songs, plays, or novels.

I started writing stories before I was old enough to realize I was writing stories. It seemed a natural thing to pick up a pencil and paper and create a world simply by using words—worlds of adventure in steaming jungles (Tarzan was an early influence on me) or realms of adventure in outer space (Buck Rogers).

In high school, I discovered an interest in songwriting. I’ve written hundreds of songs and snatches of song since then (maybe I’ll put a few on my blog sometime) and have even had two songs professionally produced and played on local radio. That was a thrill. I think I made a grand total of $13 in royalties!

After university, I began teaching high school. I discovered an interest in writing one-act plays and musicals for the drama club. It was a thrill to direct my plays and have them presented to the public. We took several plays to provincial drama festivals and had a lot of fun.

I moved from teaching high school to teaching elementary school and discovered a love of writing juvenile novels. I’ve written four such novels, and I read them to my Grade Four students annually. It’s something personal I share with them, and I appreciate my students’ support and encouragement to write more.

The Anniversary Waltz is my first novel to be published. It’s intended for the adult readers’ market. I’m excited to think that after years of writing stories, plays, songs, and juvenile novels, a publisher is willing to produce one of my works. And who knows? Maybe I’ll do better than $13 in royalties!