Writing, for me, will never be anything more than a hobby, but if I never sell another book, the thrill and enjoyment of playing this game will have been more than worth the effort.

Here is what got me started:

I escaped from the daily races and disappeared into obscurity at the tender age of forty-nine. Obscurity for my wife, Ann, and me is Muskoka, Ontario, Canada, a destination for business owners, financial engineers, movie stars, and overpaid hockey players, all anxious to get away from the stress of it all.

Shortly after our arrival, I accepted a dinner invitation from our newest closest neighbor, the owner of another lovely cottage on the shore of an adjacent bay. While sipping brandies with our host and hostess at the conclusion of a sumptuous meal, small talk dominated until our host smiled at me and said, “It’s rather unusual for someone so young to retire and build a cottage on Lake Rosseau. What did you do for a living, Steve?”

I risked boring him with the story of my crazy life in the Canadian oil business. The brandy encouraged me to give him the longer version.

His stunned expression spoke volumes. “That’s an incredible story!” he exclaimed. “Have you ever considered writing a book about it?”

I shook my head and replied, “I’ve never written anything longer than an essay in university. It was akin to root canal.”

I spent the next twenty-three years writing and self-publishing a trilogy.