Strangers ask all sorts of questions about the book, but the question I get more than any other from people who've known me for a while is "Novels? Have you always been a writer? Where did this come from?"
I have always sensed there could be some concern underneath—you know, like the friends in Lost in America, Albert Brooks's 1985 satirical road comedy classic. You don't have to have seen the movie to get the reference: Brooks's character and his wife have quit their conventional careers, sold everything and bought an RV to see America. The friends at the going-away party are more than a little uncomfortable, and have every reason to be. A hilarious disaster ensues.
Well, everyone can calm down. I've always written lots of non-fiction including several books. And my transition into novel writing is more akin to a retirement project that has grown out of control than a nervous breakdown. And this was probably always going to happen.
I was born to books, stories and fiction. My mom was a small-town librarian in the Connecticut Berkshires and stuck a book in my hand every time I fidgeted. By the time I was an English major at Colgate, I was sure I’d write novels.
But life had other plans, so I started my career in management consulting, then law and ultimately finance and startups (where most of the bigger non-fiction projects took place). It took a pandemic, some turbulent times, and a few years of van-based camping trips across the western U.S. with my wife and our dogs, to clear my head, get the adrenaline out of my bloodstream, and find my muse.
Somewhere out in open country, my lead character Silas Lopez showed up. I decided to pack up and ride with him because I believe the world needs more genuine heroes—ordinary, relatable people without superpowers. Silas is just a simple man who reminds us that decency and grit still matter. The modern world is loud: news alerts, outrage cycles, doomscrolling. In the middle of all that noise, most of us are longing for a place to rest.
For me that refuge has always been great books—stories about admirable, if flawed, people trying to do the right thing in an imperfect world. Riding with Silas allowed me to explore themes that interest me—resilience, integrity, loyalty, battling your demons, and second chances.
I'm having an awfully good time.
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