Q1. Hello, can you please introduce yourself? Readers would love to know more about you.
A1. I really am just a spiritual being having a human experience, trying to fully connect my human consciousness with its source, seeking to learn from every opportunity that I can and pass on the benefit of those lessons, striving to fulfill my purpose for being here, and hoping to make the most of this opportunity in every way that I can. I’m a veteran of the US Marine Corps and Silicon Valley. I currently spend most of my time writing and sharing material that can help those most in need to become all that they were meant to be. Other than that, I’m just a regular guy trying to do the right things for myself, for the environment, for family, for friends, and the world.
Q2. What were the key challenges you faced while writing your book “Become Your Masterpiece”?
A2. About two thirds of the material in Become Your Masterpiece was written over the course of several years, and there were no particular challenges with respect to the creation of that material. And so, the bulk of time spent developing this project, which was about four months for the initial manuscript and then a few more fine-tuning it, was focused on layout. I had decided early on that I wanted to do a very unique project – one that perhaps had never been attempted before. I set out to create a cross-genre book primarily because I felt that would be most ideal for this project. The result is a coffee table book that uses poetic verse as its medium but also incorporates highly stylized prose with an essay on success in the afterword. And the coffee table aspect of the book meant that it would also be a picture book. But I wanted every image in the book to enhance the telling of the story on the opposite page, which meant that this would also be a ‘lay-flat’ book. I believe that I’ve achieved those goals. But my greatest challenge was the learning curve I faced with the graphic design aspect of the project. I was determined to personally perform every aspect of the layout and graphic design. So, I had to teach myself how to use Adobe InDesign and Adobe Illustrator and significantly improve my very raw Adobe Photoshop skills. Even now, I’m no expert. But I was able to overcome the steep learning curve and accomplish what I set out to do.
Q3. What books or authors have most influenced your own writing?
A3. I was an avid reader way back in my primary school years. Every week I would return five or six books from the local library and check out a similar amount. I still love reading just as much. So, becoming a writer was almost a foregone conclusion. I’m certain that they have collectively influenced my writing style. But over the years, one of my favorite authors has been Richard Bach. Three of my all-time favorites are Jonathan Livingston Seagull, Bridge Across Forever and Illusions.
Q4. What’s your favourite spot to visit in your own country? And what makes it so special to you?
A4. I grew up on the Western shores of the Caribbean Sea. That was where my love affair with water began. As a child, I used to stand on the pier and become mesmerized as I watched the boats come and go. I’m still fascinated by that type of scenery. Whether it’s a beach, a wharf, a marina, a lake, the open sea or a river or stream, I’m most at peace near the water, especially large bodies of water. That leaves quite a lot of places to go. But the one I’m most fond of is the place where the river meets the sea right in the middle of the town where I grew up.
Q5. What inspired you to write the book ‘Become Your Masterpiece’?
A5. Become Your Masterpiece is more than just a book. It is at once a system, a project, a series of processes, a way of life, a journey and a collaborative effort all designed to help us heal ourselves, transform our lives and become all that we were meant to be. Become Your Masterpiece, the book, is now an integral part of that effort. But it is almost introductory in nature. I wrote it with the intention of helping to establish the proper mindset, to help ease people into a way of life where it becomes almost second nature to bypass the noise and distractions of daily living and turn inward where they can more easily connect with their higher selves. I wrote it because it is the book I wish I had available to me decades ago. And I believe it will make a difference in the lives of those who sense that there has got to be more to this life than meets the eye and are ready for some easily understandable information to get them started in the right direction.
Q6. How long did it take you to write your book ‘Become Your Masterpiece’?
A6. As I indicated earlier about two thirds of this material had already been written. So, most of the work involved editing and updating that portion, creating some new material, selecting and acquiring appropriate images, and doing the layout. The first draft was completed in four months. And it was another seven months by the time it was published at the end of October.
Q7. On what platforms can readers buy your books?
A7. The hardcover version is available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-a-Million, and many independent bookstores. The eBook is currently available on Amazon kindle. It will soon also be available at Apple, Google, Scribd, Libby, Bibliotheca and other online booksellers.
Q8. Tell us about the process of coming up with the book cover and the title ‘Become Your Masterpiece’?
A8. An interesting side note to all of this is that I was the victim of Multiple types of childhood abuse, the legacy of which significantly impacted most of my adult life. At the age of forty, when I finally recovered the repressed memories that had unknowingly been plaguing my life, I had a discussion with my then 80-year-old father, who by the way was not one of the perpetrators. That discussion led to the greatest shock of my life up to that point when he told me that he had suffered the same fate as a child. I eventually found a way to heal myself. He did not. And while taking care of him in his 98th year, I became witness to one of the greatest tragedies of life. Despite the fact that he had become a successful businessman against all odds, the only thing he could focus on as his spark began to dwindle was the horrible abuse he suffered and mistakes he had made as a result. I tried to get him to focus on his successes but it really was too little too late. In his final moments at the age of 100, as he lay in his hospice bed, I had the urge to take out my mobile phone and dial as fast as I could to his closest friends and relatives. My sister followed suit as we alternated placing our phones to each ear. And one by one they were able to tell him how much they loved, respected and admired him. Then we each held one of his hands as he took his final breaths and made his transition. In the immediate aftermath of that entire experience, I realized that as horrible as it is to be abused as a child it is even worse to reach an advanced age without having found a way to heal. And once you reach a certain age and begin to experience some measure of diminished mental capacity, it is too late to do the necessary healing work. I found myself vowing to help others avoid my father’s fate and heal themselves while they still could. During my struggle to figure out how exactly to do that, the ‘Become Your Masterpiece’ concept began to take shape. I had by then realized that survivors of childhood maltreatment have a much more difficult time transforming their lives than the average person who was not abused as a child. Drawing on my own experience and that of others I had studied, I began to see that transformation as very similar to the metamorphosis of a butterfly. And from that moment butterflies became very special to me as the ultimate symbol of a successful transformation. As I began to meditate and develop a spiritual practice, it became clear that the lessons learned from the journey to overcome that horrible legacy and transcend our past is applicable well beyond the survivor community. I now believe that we are born to become the best possible version of ourselves, and we uplift all of humanity when we fulfill that purpose. The ‘Become Your Masterpiece’ project is intended to help us do exactly that. Much more information is available on my website at http://www.BecomeYourMasterpiece.com
Q9. When writing a book how do you keep things fresh, for both your readers and also yourself?
A9. Interestingly, I’ve never had a problem with that, most likely for one very specific reason. I had just completed my second book when I gave up everything and moved into the same room with my then 98-year-old father to provide round-the-clock care. As I sat by his bedside and reviewed the first printed copy of the manuscript for my second book, I suddenly found myself learning from the lessons it contained. I asked myself how it could be possible for me to be learning from a book that I had written. And then I made some startling realizations. I had been programmed to fail. When you abuse a child, you are programming that person to fail, and I could never succeed without first reversing that failure programming. The universe had been trying to teach me something for a very long time. But I had been too badly wounded to ever have a chance of getting the message. And so, my first two books had been written primarily for me. And I knew then that I could never take credit for anything I write. Every single time I write my hand is guided. Those words are not coming from me. They are coming through me. Writing is almost spiritual for me, and I don’t mean that in a religious sense. It is almost like a form of meditation. It puts me in touch with my higher self. It helps me to access the universal currents of wisdom and knowledge. So, keeping things fresh and interesting is almost automatic.
Q10. What is the most valuable piece of advice you’ve been given about writing?
A10. In 1974, while stationed at marine Barracks, Guam, I one day stood outside on the parade ground in the middle of the morning. Other personnel from every branch of the military were milling about. But I was not standing close to anyone and was totally wrapped up in my thoughts. Suddenly, I heard a voice say to me that I should become a writer. But I ought not to write fiction, only truth – material that will help people improve their lives. My immediate and silent reaction was, “Okay, but I don’t have anything to say.” That was the entire conversation, and I was left with the distinct impression that these were instructions for the future. It would be another twenty-six years before I wrote my first book. But that is what got me started. And I consider it the most important piece of advice I’ve been given about writing. Of course, there’s all the other mundane stuff like write something every day, etc. but all that pales in comparison to the original advice that got me started.
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