About Brian

I have enjoyed a varied education which includes art, music, English and journalism in college, as well as studies in Japanese and European landscape design. Working in landscape design for most of my career, which coincides with my love of the outdoors, I also made time for my pursuits as a musician, photographer, and a dedicated father of five. As father of two sons who have a rare disease, I founded a nonprofit organization committed to providing encouraging resources to individuals and families dealing with life challenges. Some of my other activities include public speaking, which I do now on behalf of my organization. My message is one of understanding and empowerment to rise above limitations and dare to dream of new possibilities. I have been an avid student of World War Two history and one of my writing endeavors to be published at a future date is a novel about two soldiers who endured and survived the war under extreme circumstances. While my wife and I grew up in northwestern Oregon, in 1999 we moved our family to North Carolina where we now make our home. Having a long interest in genealogy, I discovered after the move across the country that I have a rich ancestry among the Appalachian people, which helped to inspire the series of books beginning with The Courting of Miss Macy Rose. I describe myself as an artist and a storyteller, while many of my friends describe me as relentlessly energetic.