I am a writer. My short story collection and debut novel are appearing soon, and my works have been published in various online fiction reviews.

I love reading literary fiction above all else — it’s the kind of writing that stays with you long after you’ve turned the last page. But my reading life doesn’t stop there. I also reach for fantasy, adventure, and crime fiction, and honestly, I’ll read almost anything that falls under the broad, generous umbrella of fiction. I even read stories I sense aren’t quite at the level I admire, and I do that willingly, because sometimes a story surprises you. It’s not always the words that carry it — sometimes it’s the plot, a twist you never saw coming, a moment that catches you off guard.

As for style, I gravitate toward literary lyrical prose — grounded and sensory, but not overly flowery. Writing that feels lived-in. I read classical and contemporary fiction alike, and I find something to treasure in both.

Outside of reading and writing, I play basketball and go rod fishing — those are my real escapes, the places where I breathe out and slow down. More than once, a story idea has come to me while I was waiting for a catch or running across the court. I also love walking by the beach and having a quiet coffee by the porch. Simple pleasures, but they feed the imagination in ways I can’t always explain.

My saddest moments as a reader? Saying goodbye to characters when a story ends. That farewell never gets easier — and I think that’s the truest sign that the story was worth everything.