A media consultant by day and budding short story writer by night, I take my inspiration from everywhere. Most of my stories are set in places where I have lived: Chicago, Paris and Geneva. I started writing because I realized that it's very difficult for me not to tell a story. I come from a family of storytellers, so I've heard some sort of tale all my life. I tell stories to my family, friends and even my clients. Even my non-fiction, business articles usually end with a moral.   My influences include James Baldwin, F. Scott Fitzgerald, John Updike, Philip Roth and Zadie Smith. Short stories and novellas are my preferred genres because they allow me to describe brief moments in time and get off the page. I like to make readers think, but I also like to leave them with a bit of suspense. My first collection of short stories, called Encounters in Paris, is available now in both paperback and digital formats. My next collection of short stories, 5 Reasons to Leave a Lover, debuts in fall 2011.