I suppose my first attempts at creative writing came in the 80's when I was the reluctant lyricist for a number of punk and metal bands. I was never a big fan of poetry, but as long as I kept the death and destruction couplets flowing it was okay. In 1985 I began writing and publishing an underground fanzine called The Dismemberment Times. It was full of horror comics and film and music reviews. Sadly, it only lasted a few issues. In the early 90's I began writing original screenplays: mostly for fun. I spent years trying to sell my scripts, but nothing ever happened with them. I guess my dark violent style was too much for most people. Near the end of the decade, I hooked with my writing partner and we began creating prospective animated television shows. Again, not much happened with these projects, but we did end up getting rewriting work from many studios and production companies. In 2005 I wrote and published my first book Man-Made Monsters, a collection of short horror stories.

I am frequently asked about my influences, but for me that's a rather difficult question. In general I don't read a lot of fiction. The books I like usually fall into the categories of history or true crime. If I'm looking for ideas or inspiration, there's nothing more horrific than the real world. I'm a huge fan of Maury Terry's The Ultimate Evil: a spellbinding account of the conspiracy behind the Son Of Sam killings. In addition, I loved Ed Saunder's The Family, which is a far more accurate look at Charles Manson and his followers than Vincet Bugliosi's Helter Skelter. One of my favorites is journalist and publisher Adam Parfrey. In books like Apocalypse Culture and Cult Rapture he compiles and reports on some of the freakiest and most disturbing examples of human behavior I've ever read. If I had to nail down one fiction author that has had an impact on me it would be Kurt Vonnegut. His satirical dark sense of humor and anti-authoritarianism are things that are prevalent throughout my work as well.

There's a popular misconception that horror authors are dark and creepy individuals. I can't speak for the rest, but I'm just a regular person. I don't rob graves as a hobby, though there are a few things buried in the back yard I'd rather not get into. I am a devoted husband and father. I enjoy barbecuing and I'm probably the only guy in Southern California that tends his own lawn. I'm absolutely crazy for hockey: both as a rabid Detroit Redwings fan and a mediocre roller hockey player. I'm passionate about music. I spend a good chunk of my disposable income on new tunes, collectables, and concerts. Most people are surprised at how friendly and down to earth I am. I use writing as a way to clean all of that evil stuff out of my head so I am free to operate as a semi-normal human being.

I continue to collaborate with my writing partner on several projects as well as script-doctoring gigs. Man-Made Monsters and Cryptic Creatures were just the beginning. I am currently working on my third collection of short horror stories entitled Demonic Damnation. It should be obvious what it's about and that I have a severe problem with alliteration. I am also outlining a trilogy of novels that is related to my short stories. It's a fairly ambitious project. I hope I can pull it off. I have a lot of stuff simmering so please stay tuned.

UPDATE: After a 17-year absence I have stepped back behind my drum kit and am banging the skins for a band called Acid Uprising. We play a mix of metal, punk, and hard rock. It's very aggressive and totally kick-ass. We're still pulling together our material, but plan on recording and playing out soon. I will keep you posted.\m/

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