Q:  Your characters in PRIVATE RESERVE have some life experience but still have potential for growth. Can you relate in your own life?

A:  I am still working on things and hoping that the old adage the older you get, the wiser you get is true.  But where I am making some progress is learning to be interested in other people more.  I am a shameless self-promoter.  As a writer I have to be, but not at the expense of making meaninglful connections.

It occured to me one day that if I could easily fall into the trap of talking about myself all of the time, rather than asking questions of interesting people.  At the very least I could be depriving myself of valuable insight and learning something.

I realized that there were interesting things going on around me all of the time and tapping into that could be quite enriching on a variety of levels, but mainly: you learn things, you grow.  It's that simple.  Not doing so, limits your perspective. 

I have attended business and social events where people don't bother to enage the person right beside them, or they just go and on about themselves when they are supposedly talking with someone.  How boring, and it could be a missed opportunity.  

What the anynymous person standing next to you that you are ignoring, or the person you are talking at instead of with, could have become the best friend you could ever hope to have?  Or the love of your life?  Or a business contact that could propel your venture to success? 

What if an artist and independant writer were to meet and a collaboration came of that?  What if the writer commissioned original eye-catching cover art for a series of books?  What if the series were to become a great success for the writer due to content and presentation, and the exposure brought the artist new clients?  

I have noticed that the most self-confident successful people don't miss such opportunities. They make a point of speaking with people and asking poigniant questions.  What better way to start a life-long friendship or find your soulmate or gain cooperation for a future business venture?