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R. H. Sheldon - Adonis Photography

A number of years ago, long before I moved to the Northwest, I hitchhiked with a friend across Washington state to northern Idaho. We got stuck at the Idaho border for hours, poking our thumbs out pointlessly at passing cars. Finally a newlywed couple going the other direction saw us, turned around, and drove us all the way to Sandpoint. Several days later, my friend and I, once again stuck at the Idaho border, finally hitched a ride back with a psychic healer who drove us all the way to the Vashon ferry in West Seattle. That was pretty much the extent of my visit to Seattle.

It took me several more years before I made my move to the Northwest. And now I've lived here for nearly 20 years, and in that time, I have lived on a boat, in a house, in a basement, in an apartment (or two or three), and in a cabin in the woods. I have also traveled extensively throughout this region, although no longer by thumb. I have gone by car, by boat, by plane, by train. I have biked. I have hiked. I have camped. I have visited museums and meadows and mountains and parks and nurseries and parades and theaters and baseball games and volcanoes and ocean shores. That is the thing about living in the Northwest. It has it all.

Prior to moving out here I lived in the Colorado Rockies. There I also lived in a house, in a basement, in an apartment, and in a cabin in the woods. I even lived in a teepee for a short stint (until a bear took a liking to my little home) and later in my VW bus during the warm weather. Then there was the little travel trailer one very cold winter. Every morning I would wake up to frozen water and frosted windows and piles of snow stacked up outside so I could barely open my door. I used to make margaritas with the icicles that hung from my eave.

Throughout all this, I have been a writer of one sort or another. I have written news stories, feature articles, advice columns, legal summaries, restaurant reviews, marketing copy, and training material. I first became serious about writing when I was recovering from a fall from a helicopter. Writing helped me to cope with my injuries and my boredom. This was after the pins and casts had been removed from my arms, but before my legs had completely healed.

I began to contribute articles to several of the regional newspapers. One of my news stories received a Runner-up/Best News Story of the Year award from the Colorado Press Association, and one of my feature articles received an Honorable Mention/Best Feature Story of the Year. It was during my recovery that I also wrote and published the novella Pacific Passion, part of a gag-gift series called ToileTales: Read ‘em and Wipe. You can still find copies in bathrooms and outhouses across the country.

After I moved to the Northwest, my writing took a more serious turn. Before long, I had authored or co-authored 11 technical books and a number of technical articles. I had also worked as a content editor, developmental editor, technical editor, and copy editor. I had even managed to complete my BA in English and Creative Writing at the University of Washington. It had taken me many years to complete my degree. During that time, I had seen pants styles go from tight to baggy and back to tight.

In 2005, my first novel, Dancing the River Lightly, was published by SterlingHouse Publishers. The story takes place in the sometimes frightening, sometimes fantastic world of the Pacific Northwest. I am currently working on a spin-off from this book, at least that is what I tell myself, that I am working.