A Turn to Windward (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9781499633634)

As a native Texan, I grew up at the edge of a small town and roamed the woods with a freedom that might be impossible today. Even now, I feel more at home and infinitely safer in wild places than I do in cities. I don't suppose a kid could grow up in Texas without dreaming of being a cowboy, and I lived that dream briefly on a Nebraska ranch. I also dreamed of being World Champion in a Formula One racing car; I won my first road race as an amateur on England's Snetterton Circuit and my second as a professional through the streets of Austin, Texas, during the River City Road Races run as a part of the annual Aqua Festival. That dream ended for lack of funds, probably because I failed to listen to good advice. So I 'settled down' and married. My wife, Alyssa, and I have three grown children, a son and two daughters, and four grandsons. We love to hike and camp; a few years ago we bought a tandem kayak. And I dream of building a small wooden cruising sailboat. I began to write in high school and worked professionally as a photographer and newspaper writer for a brief period after I returned from military service in the U.S. Air Force. My first experience with book publishing was as editor of the Jacksonville College yearbook; later, I sold a magazine article about a neighbor and the hunting rifle he helped me customize for greater accuracy. Now we live in eastern Washington, and I 'lie for a living' by writing the kinds of fictional stories I like to read.