Salinas is a small farm-town that grew up too fast. Within a stretch of four miles, you can stroll through rows of strawberry fields, read a book next to the bronze statue of John Steinbeck, or reference a street’s graffiti to see which gang is in the area.
There's a beauty to Salinas' grit, though. During my lifetime, I have seen Salinas top the lists of most violent cities in the country and be listed as one of the most comfortable places to live. We honor the literature of our past, but have lost all of our book stores and, at one point, nearly shut down all of our libraries due to budget cuts. Through it all, people persevere—succeed or fail, grow and live.
Growing up here wasn't always easy. It was hard finding a place in a city that didn't really know what it was. The world wasn't always a simple place, and not always I place I liked. When I was eight, I read The Horn of Roland and realized that there are many worlds to visit, and I wanted to see them all.
I became fascinated with Greek and Egyptian Mythology and Native American folklore. I started reading about Narnia and King Arthur, of Musketeers and Hobbits. Through the years, I read about parks filled with dinosaurs and Battle Schools in space. Mistborn flew through the night, and a wizard tried to make a living in Chicago with the help of a skull named Bob.
In middle school, I would write extra credit stories to make up for missing homework assignments. When I was twenty-two, teaching computers at a middle school, I wrote my first novel. It was never published and no one read it short of a few of my students, some friends, and family, but I loved the world I created and knew I wanted to be a writer. Whether or not anyone ever saw the worlds I made, I wanted to add my stories to all those out there—going back to a guy sitting next to campfire, helping to fill the hours for himself and his friends.
I'm still a computer teacher. When I have free time, I write, spend time with my wife and son, or lightsaber fight with my daughter.