The inspiration for my work comes from the beauty that surrounds me both in the people I meet and the places I visit. For me, it's all about people. Good, bad and indifferent. Characters are everything. They pull us into the story. We love them and we hate them. Unassuming at first brush, they can be thrust into situations and must rely on their courageous spirit to succeed--or not. I write for myself and write what I'm most passionate about. It's personal. I write fiction and part of me is in all my characters. There is not other way. My writing is about hope and the thought we may aspire to be transformed into our better self. As we age we tend to lose some imagination, but I intend keep phrases like, "if only" and "what if" alive. C.S. Lewis was an genius and his works are inspirational. Paulo Coelho makes me wonder and dream. Mitch Albom brings it all home for me in today's world. I encourage all of us to write--or paint, or sing or...