I was born in the Boston area in 1942, graduated the University of Massachusetts in 1963 and started my own seafood marketing company in 1970. I have always had a passion for writing but i did not publish my first book until 2009.
Portrait by Criscione
I devoted most of my adult life to building a one-man company into an world wide organization from the ground floors of Boston’s Haymarket square to the grounds of the emperor’s palace in Tokyo. I’ve seen small ideas grow into gigantic successes and I’ve played a part in creating entirely new industries that remain viable and vibrant today.
In 1992 my wife Barbara and I traded the cold New England winters for the warmth of Boca Raton, Florida and have been enjoying the best of both worlds since. The unique, contrasting life styles of Boston and Boca inspired me to write “Boca Knights”, the book I promised myself to write many years ago. The sequel, Boca Mournings was published in 2010 and the third book in the Boca trilogy, Boca Daze, January of 2012. An ebook novella entitled “Eddie The Kid” is also available.
My wife and I became Florida residents but we still divide our time between our two favorite cities. My daughter Jana, her kids Taylor and Bradley, as well as my son David, his wife Stacie and their kids Tyler and twins Shaina and Raquel have joined us in Florida. David and Stacie founded a pet food company www.weruva.com dedicated to rescuing the diets of the domesticated animal kingdom.
I’ve learned that the business and literary worlds have much in common; create a good product, market it to the public and hope consumers buy it repeatedly. The main difference I have experienced between my two careers is the public’s perception. Over the years I‘ve sold millions and millions of pounds of seafood but no one has ever asked me to sign a piece of fish. Write a good book, however and suddenly a lot of people want my signature on something besides a check.
I hope you enjoy my books.
FAQs
It was a great experience requiring a lot of patience. I don’t outline. I figure out where I want to start and where I want to go and then the words flow. Unfortunately, they don’t always flow perfectly the first time. That’s where the need for patience comes into play. I think one of the greatest attributes writers can have is to know when they’ve written something poorly and have the fortitude to do it over and over again until they get it right.
Not at all. It’s who I’d like to be when I grow up.
My definition of a hero is also my definition of a Boca Knight; anyone willing to fight and die for everyone’s right to live in peace. My hero, Eddie Perlmutter, is a larger than life action hero who enforces peace with an iron fist and inspires others to follow his lead to the best of their ability.
My experience has taught me that intolerance for differences in religion, race, creed, and ethnicity has probably caused more grief in this world than anything else. One religion’s spiritual truth can be another’s ultimate falsehood. With Boca Knights, I was trying to explore the inconsistencies in and difference between all religions, and found the only path to peace in tolerance.
I do not necessarily believe in the inherent goodness of all people, but I do believe in the goodness of most people and in the righteousness of free will. Most of my characters redeem themselves because, as it says in the book, “all things are possible.” Our experiences as individuals shape our moral aptitude, but at the end of the day everyone has the choice to do the right thing.
It depends on the person. Someone in a new environment may not be able to adapt, leading to frustration and withdrawal. Another person might demand to be accepted exactly as they are, which also creates stress. A person willing to adapt without losing their individuality will stand the best chance of finding happiness in a new location.
When I was a kid I listened to radio and saw the first television being delivered to my neighborhood. Computers were totally alien to me. I fought it at first but gradually moved into the cyber age. Word processing and the internet have been a tremendous help to my ability to communicate and create.
Both business and writing require the ability to communicate in a clear, concise manner. To establish a loyal customer base in business you have to develop a good product, sell it and continue to deliver your customers what they want. The creative process is different but the business principles are the same.
It’s great. I enjoy the best of weather in both locations and have friends in both places. My business does not demand I be in either location whereas I have an international customer and supply base. Writing can be done anywhere. I also have family in the north and south.
