Things that blow my hair back
+ Words, words, words!
+ Music (new bands, old favorites, live shows)
+ Photography, music festivals, travel
+ Social events, concerts, art exhibits
+ Health and nutrition, fitness, weights
+ Cooking, micro-brews, flavor
+ Communication, sociology, psychology
+ Brainstorming and problem solving
+ Exploration of new ideas, places, things
+ New market trends, technology, innovations
+ Online social networks and communities
+ Sports, especially college basketball

Q: Why do you like to write?

Words are my passion, my indée fixe. Writing is a challenge I find rewarding. I take pride in being able to paint an image or evoke an emotion with the words I lace together. 

Q. What's the last great book you read?

I have four: The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak; The Road by Cormic McCarthy; Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran; and The Story of a Marriage by Andrew Sean Greer.  

Q: What do you do in your spare time?

I read cereal boxes. And just about anything else, like magazines, Web sites, novels, poetry, flyers, blogs and magazine inserts (yes, those pesky things many people throw away). And I tweet alot.

Q. What's with the collection of random ads and flyers you're notorious for keeping?

What can I say? I collect things. I call it my “inspiration folder.” Mailers, magazine ads, guides, business cards, catalogs, concert tickets, etc. There’s value in learning from others – both the good and the bad. But mostly the good. Including a couple empty coffee bags. Hey, sometimes the packaging is just as good, if not better, than the actual product. 

Q: Why do so many outside interests? 

I am curious by nature. The world is filled with thousands of interesting things. I'm just lucky enough to be able to pay attention to them, if even for a brief moment. And I believe trying different things makes me a better, more well-rounded writer, as well as a more interesting person. But I'll let you be the judge of that.

Q: What's one thing you'll never do again?

I rode shotgun from Boston to Phoenix. Just once. That's all it took. The Wright Brothers knew it all along; flying is definitely the way to go. Entertaining yourself for five straight days is exhausting.  

Q: Is that you in the photo?

With the camera, yes. We hit awful construction in St. Louis during our cross-country trip, so I rolled down the window and took a picture. The other pictures are from the same trip. As you can see, I went to great lengths to entertain myself.

Q: What's one challenge you've recently faced?

Adjusting to Boston. Let me tell you, growing up in rural Oklahoma and moving from Phoenix did not prepare me for the change of weather and on-foot commuting. Thankfully—knock on wood—I haven't gotten lost once while taking the T or exploring the city. 

Q: And what do you think of Boston?

It's a city that'll push you. It's not a hop-in-your-car-and-go kind of place. Not like Phoenix. But that's okay. You appreciate things more here, I think. Or at least I do. And I must say, I love how tech savvy and forward-thinking people are here. And I never knew how big into craft beer Boston was until I moved here. That, above all else, probably makes me the happiest right now.