Widely read. I write for the love of writing and, hopefully, to entertain. I suppose I've unconsciously been influenced by Tolstoy, Hardy, Dickens. Love the stories of James Herriot. Not an exact quote but agree with Lear who said that he'd rather have a fool to make him merry than a wise man to make him sad. My stories run in the vein of the fool to make people merry. more...