About |
At a time when most people are planning their retirement, I decided to dedicate my time and energy into a writing career. I'll be 60 next year and I couldn't think of a more fitting present to myself to listen to my intuition and pursue the life of an author. It's daunting and scary, especially doing it alone, but there's a peacefulness that fills my heart and I realize that I'd rather be writing than working for someone who is pursuing their own dream.
The other part of this decision has to do with animals. I don't just love them. I respect them and want to be their voice. I don't believe that might makes right, but almost every culture on the planet operates from this belief system. If I can change people's perceptions of how they treat animals through their food, entertainment and buying choices, I will have accomplished my goal.
I was born and raised in Studio City and Tarzana, both in the San Fernando Valley. I went to Cal State, Northridge and got a BA in Communications with an emphasis in radio. I had a couple of radio shows when I was in college and even obtained my 3rd class license. I had a blast.
I worked in print advertising sales until I started The Write Cause, a letter-writing service for animal and environmental rights. After 13 years, I sold the business and went back into sales, though I never really enjoyed the sales profession.
Up until three years ago, I'd been writing screenplays. all were very different stories but the main character was always a vegetarian or vegan. I decided to write a book because living in Petaluma, far from the madding Hollywood crowd, my chances of getting an agent or anyone to even consider reading my scripts was non-existent.
Vegan Cowboy was the result of wanting to expose factory farming in a story about a woman who, in her late fifties, finally decides to follow her intuition. It's a belief I've struggled with my whole life. So few people seem to listen to their gut, no matter what it's telling them.
Approaching 60 doesn't seem so abhorrent any more, now that I've written a novel and am working on a 2nd one. It's given my life purpose.