I’ve been an editor and writer for my entire professional career and live outside of Houston, Tex. Before arriving in Houston, I lived with my Mom and brother in Holland, Mich. Our home was a Victorian-era cottage within easy walking distance of the beach. Buying that house was the last thing my parents did together and allowing me to grow up there is still among the greatest gifts I’ve ever received.

My dad stuck around. He was a sculptor and art professor. My mom was business manager of the local college’s theater department. Between the two of them I had nearly continuous exposure to the arts, sailboats, and a wide variety of interesting young adults. I visited geodesic domes frequently and was John Houseman’s chauffeur-for-a-day as a 17-year old. One year later I moved to Houston (where I knew no one), felt instantly at home, and have been here more or less ever since.

A fan of heavy music since the early 1980s, I turned my love professional via a 1986 stint as stagehand at London’s famed Marquee Club. Years as an aspiring bass player or front man in local metal combos gave way in 1992 to my first paid music journalism gig, starting off at the top of the hard rock mountain as a US-based scribe for Kerrang!

I paid dues for the first year or two, writing live reviews and short news items. Feature assignments eventually started coming, however, and the first full-length article I did for K! was based on an interview conducted with Doug Pinnick in the run up to King’s X beginning work on its ‘Dogman’ album. We’ve remained in touch ever since and a mutual friend suggested I write his biography.

Writing Doug’s story interrupted work on ‘Unreality,’ but it was too good an opportunity to ignore. And when I went back to my novel it was liberating to once again have a completely open canvas with which to work. I had created these people and settings and needed to make their world complete. That task is now done and the time has come to share them with all of you. I hope you enjoy the ride!