About the Author - Acerca de yo
I was born in Eastern Canada to a family of modest means, but with deep roots dating back to the Mayflower. My ancestor in Massachusetts, though, only lasted a couple of weeks before coming into fatal contact with the local inhabitants, but thankfully his children arrived after and propagated profusely.
I studied English Literature at the University of New Brunswick and generally interacted quite well with some much smarter people. Indeed a couple of my profs awarded me their highest marks. But literary criticism is a hard subject in which to get really great marks (especially near the home of Northrup Frye) so I didn’t proceed onto reading the laws. Which may have been a good thing for both me and lawyerin'.
I tried soldiering, but that just proved that I was a bad shot and had a slight problem with authority (since resolved). So I entered the business world and have spent considerable amounts of my own time and other people’s money travelling to fascinating places and meeting interesting people.
After my brother died in the 90’s, I became a prominent infectious disease activist and was interviewed by about every major newspaper, television and radio station in Canada. We almost caused a downfall of our government by forcing a vote of non-confidence in Parliament and got a billion dollar plus guilt payment to the victims of the disease with which our family members had been criminally afflicted.
Since these days of action, I’ve been active in politics and have become one of those reportedly shady characters that spend their days plotting sedition in smoky rooms. I’ve met any number of prominent political bigwigs, have the confidence of several and commonly get called on to make something happen, get something done or help get someone elected or defeated.
Writing & Creative Experience
I have always been a writer. I am a columnist for one of Canada's largest dailies and have ghosted or written in my own name dozens of newspaper articles, written God-Only-Knows how many speeches and even drafted correspondence for a Prime Minister of Canada. My work has appeared in the Toronto Sun, the Toronto Star, the National Post, and soon in “Campaigns and Elections” magazine. From a business perspective, I have had pieces in “Real Estate Forum” (New York), “Site Selection” (Atlanta), “Canadian Business” (Toronto) and been a regular contributor to the “The Global Market Report” (Princeton).
In the past few years I jumped off the traditional distribution platforms to create one of my own – a political weblog. Under a pseudonym I contributed about 371,000 words to the blogosphere and had almost 300,000 readers. In the last while, as I approached completion of “Mojito”, I launched a blog devoted to Cuba at www.mojitonovel.com.
Since completing the “last draft” of “Mojito” I have started outlining its sequel. Its working title is “Woodbine” and it brings back the Mojito protagonist in stopping an international conspiracy to kidnap the Queen of England during her visit to Canada for the “Queen’s Plate” thoroughbred race.
I’ve also started a light-hearted fictional biography with the working title, “Confessions of a Committed Itinerant”. It attributes to a yet unnamed fictional character interesting stories, events and anecdotes. Think somewhere between “Forrest Gump” and “Big Fish”. So I'm currently plumbing the depths of my memory to data base the funniest, most unusual, and engaging stories I have heard, events I have witnessed and people I have met.
I have also been active in feeding my addiction to new media. I was Vice Chair of the McLuhan Festival in hopes of getting Toronto’s biggest thinker thought about more often. I produced a very cool program and video entitled "The Death of Television" which received rave reviews. I wrote and produced an hour long radio program for the Government of Canada and produced and hosted a full season of half hour television programs as well as a full year of radio shorts. I organized and managed a series of marketing programs for the Government of Canada and last year co-founded a web-based “community” for business people, now with thousands of members. I currently make my living by creating a new platform with which daily newspapers can hope to survive and in public relations.
If I have accomplished anything with Mojito, I hope it is that I have portrayed Cuba and Cubans fairly and as they are and have captured their bravery, culture and sense of humor. I hope this book is as much (or more) a story of the place and the people, and their customs and lifestyles as it is a book about adventure, suspense and politics.
Mojito and Me
My main credentials for writing “Mojito” come from my experience with Cubans. The sights and scenes of the novel are from first hand visits. The characters exist and I know them well, but not necessarily in their Mojito personae.
I’ve travelled there regularly for the last 10 years and have not spent my time on resorts but with Cubans – most with a story to tell and many with nefarious means of getting around the Castros’ rules. Some are dangerous. And my contacts with Cuban exiles in the US have educated me on the complicated politics that exist with the place as well as with some great vignettes to add to the plot. I’ve even interviewed a Bay of Pigs veteran.
From a business perspective in selling the book, there are over a million Cuban exiles living in the USA who have great curiosity about the place and would be a natural audience for Mojito. Along with this cohort there are a million tourist visitors annually to Cuba (one third from Canada) many of whom will likely want a book to read while there on the beach. Mojito reveals some stories about the Castros that have not been told before and Cuban politics are gathering as much attention now as it has at any time in the past. This is a great time for “Mojito”.
The Author with Yoani Sanchez
I met Cuban Hero, Yoani Sanchez in January. I felt like a putz and a little kid...
