Why Catch & Release?

Catch & Release is an eclectic collection of my creative output. I write speculative short stories and novels. I also write essays ranging from the very personal to commentary on AI and the role creativity plays in society. Before I did all this, I was a musician and a songwriter who worked in technology to feed his family so you will see all of these elements come into play in my work. It’s a lot.

But the common thread in everything I create regardless of the form is a deep desire to connect with others through the exchange of ideas. Some ideas can be sung and fit tidily into a four-minute song. Others require the length of a novel to explore. I enjoy being able to pick the right tool for the right job which is why you will see songs, stories, novels, and essays show up in your inbox from me if you subscribe.

What to Expect

Nearly everything I publish on a weekly basis is FREE for everyone. After three months, most posts go into the archive which is reserved for paid subscribers. You can get a sampling of everything on Catch & Release by visiting my field guide:

Serialized Novels with Audio Narration

The consistent beating heart of Catch & Release is the speculative fiction that I publish as weekly serials. All the episodes for both novels include high-quality audio narration and original music so you, like hundreds of other readers before you with busy lives can enjoy on the go.

Why Subscribe?

If most everything is free when it’s first published, why would I part with my $6 a month, you ask? It’s a good question and the best answer I have is this:

When you pay Netflix or Spotify for the pleasure of being entertained, it’s certain that only a fraction of that money actually goes to the artist who created the work. When you subscribe to my work, you know that 95% of it goes directly to me and that your contribution makes me one important step closer to being an artist with a living wage. That is a tremendous thing. Thanks for your consideration.

About Me

I was born and had a happy childhood in a beautiful little town called Boone in the Blue Ridge mountains of North Carolina. I was raised by two loving parents who still love each other after 65 years. I have two incredible older brothers who are my best friends and a big, loving, and supportive extended family. I have two amazing grown children of my own and one sweet four-year-old who claims me. I have a partner who sees me and believes in me. I have many blessings.

I started playing the violin at age 5 and continued into high school when I abandoned it for the electric guitar, for obvious carnal reasons. I started writing when I was twelve — some bad poetry and a couple of chapters of a book about my complicated life. The writing turned into songs for the parade of bands I would play in for the next ten years.

I went to Appalachian State and got a degree in music industry studies. There I met the woman I would spend the next 27 years with. After college, I gave up bands and moved to Atlanta to pursue life as a solo troubadour. I was lucky enough to be a part of the vibrant scene around Eddie’s Attic where I got to play with Shawn Mullins, Kristian Bush, John Mayer, Gillian Welch, and so many other great artists. I did some touring, released my first album, worked in a music store, and taught guitar lessons.

At 26 that screeched to a halt when we were surprised to find out we were going to be parents. This was the big fork in the road for me. I chose to follow the path my dad modeled. In 1996 it was the birth of the Internet so I taught myself HTML, got my first straight job working at the American Cancer Society, and for the next 26 years, I set aside my professional artistic pursuits to earn a steady living and be at home for my family.

I never quit my creative work. I produced four more albums, performed a couple of times a month locally, and continued to write, record, and tinker. In 2012 after some exploration in writing short stories, I decided to write a novel. The experience of writing that first book lit a fire inside me that’s still going. After years of working within the constraints of rhyme, meter, and melody, I felt set free in writing long-form prose. As our marriage deteriorated and our kids left the nest, writing became my only refuge. I went on to complete two more novels and a dozen short stories. Today, I’m midway through a fourth novel.

There has been much more to my life than the preceding five paragraphs and you will hear it if you listen to or read my work as we make this journey together. But this is a good jumping-off point, so let’s go.

Subscribe to Catch & Release

A free-ranging collection of creative work in the form of speculative short fiction and novels, songs, essays, and multimedia made with the intention of connecting and inspiring.

People

Author, musician, songwriter, creative junky, and lover of the deep woods.