I wrote my first short story, with the help of my mother, at the age of nine. It was a murder mystery in the vein of Agatha Christie. A classical whodunit. There was an old mansion, a bunch of rich society types drinking chardonnay and plotting the demise of the person standing next to them. I'll admit, the idea was my mother's, and I had no idea who Agatha Christie was at the time, but I do believe it was a good story, and a lot of fun to write. So began my passion for writing.