|
Growing up in Zellwood had its advantages for a budding writer from north of the Mason Dixon line. I met so many different characters in my junior high school and high school years. Many of their personality traits have made their way into some of my fictional characters. It’s been a great education having lived in the north and the south, particularly in the rural south where feelings about the War Between the States run strong. The war may be over but the scars are still there for some. I graduated from Apopka Memorial High School and worked in the indoor foliage business. I started my own nursery business while in high school and also worked for others in the nursery business. It was hard work in very hot, humid conditions, working with fungicides, pesticides, and other ‘cides, some of which are now banned. We used to handle Mirex, the fire ant poison (which was banned by the EPA), with our bare hands. I’m still here so it must not have been that bad. My travels continued after my stint in the south. After selling the nursery business I moved back to Sandusky, Ohio and started working in retail stores. It was at the May Company (now Macy’s) that I met my wife, Debbie. Realizing that I had little future in retail sales, I joined the US Navy in the Nuclear Power Program, stationed on the ballistic missile submarine USS John Adams (SSBN620B) in Charleston, South Carolina. I again encountered a mix of the south and the north. The locals in Charleston were a great mix of personalities, while my shipmates were an odd mix of intellectuals and grunt workers, all with their own personality traits. Again this is great fodder for the budding writer. It was while living in Goose Creek, South Carolina that Debbie and I were married. After an eight year stint in the Navy, I again returned to Sandusky and started my civilian career at the Davis-Besse Nuclear Power Station. After working in Electrical Maintenance then Maintenance Planning, I ended up in the Information Technology Department as a Team Lead. The political climate in Sandusky is always charged with small city politics. In 1993, I ran for the City Commission and was elected to a four year term. My time on the commission was full of drama as we had a new city manager who ruffled the feathers of County Commissioners and nearby Township Trustees. During my tenure, I worked with corporate CEOs, city, county, and state officials, and citizens with all sorts of agendas. There was never a dull moment. My one claim to fame was being satirized by our local cartoonist in the Sandusky Register over a comment that I made regarding our sewage treatment plant. I only served a single term on the commission and opted to start my writing career. I didn’t get far into the project when my wife and I decided to build a house. We did the general contracting, carpentry, electric and plumbing, floor tile and roofing. It was a real adventure. Our marriage actually survived the stress and strain of the adventure. Debbie and I celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary in January 2009. We have two grown children. We also have a Calico cat named Jasmine and a Tabby named Butters. My son has a Bull Terrier named Capone and my daughter has a cat named Grady. I have eleven brothers and sisters. Debbie has a brother and a sister. We have a load of nieces and nephews. They are concentrated in Florida and Ohio, though a few are in other states. I started writing my first novel about the McKinney brothers in the early 1990s. I finally finished A Lifetime of Vengeance in 2005. It took over twelve years to get the first half finished. It took about six months to finish the second half. My second novel, A Lifetime of Deception, was written in twelve months. I guess there’s something to those Idiot Guides. The third McKinney Brothers Novel, A Lifetime of Exposure, October 2009. My newest release, A Lifetime of Terror is available now in paperback and most eBook formats. I know you are going to enjoy the continuing adventures of the McKinney Brothers. One last comment; I have recently committed to donate 50% of all eBook royalties to an organization called Homes for Out Troops. This non-profit, non-partisan organizations builds adapted homes for our most severely wounded soldiers and their immediate families. This is all accomplished primarily through private sector donations and the homes are delivered to the veterans in turnkey/move in condition - MORTGAGE FREE! Having been a US Navy veteran, I know first hand how difficult military life can be without the added burden of a severe injury. We owe these soldiers and their families so much more than we can ever repay. Please join me in providing the funds necessary to help build a home for one of these true American Heroes. Peter J. Grondin |
