Long before I ever thought about living in large cities, being a pastor or a writer, I fell in love with books of any kind. Books were my window to a world of mystery and adventure.
Growing up in eastern Washington in high desert farming and ranching country, radio took me to faraway places I could only imagine. I saw my first television program at a cousin’s house during my sophomore year in high school. However, I had already discovered books were the real doorway to the extraordinary.
At 17, I left for bible school. I was still 17, when the kid from the country met a young city girl from Tulsa, named Dixie. At 19, we married, and started our nearly 60 years of marriage, adventure, and ministry together. In 1994, I wrote my first novel, September Strike.
After 23 years of pastoral ministry in Dublin, California we moved to Palm Desert, California, and continued writing. October’s Child, Pursuit, and Seasons of the Spirit were written here.
In 1999, we returned to the Pacific Northwest to continue pastoral ministry. We also lead a national organization training pastors and lay leaders in older adult ministry. On August 4, 2015, Dixie passed away following an extended battle with pancreatic cancer. I miss her every day. The memoir Sacred Journey (2016) is her story and is meant to encourage anyone facing this debilitating disease.
In 2015, my fourth novel, Redeeming Grace, won a Jerry Jenkins Illumination Award. I once overheard Jerry Jenkins respond to the question, “Do you love to write?” by saying, “I love having written.” Those are my sentiments exactly. Writing is hard work, but I love having written and writing still brings me joy! It is a gift that has allowed me to share life and faith as a Christ follower while making new and lasting friends worldwide.