Why write a novel instead of a business book?

I love a challenge. Life has lovingly thrown a barrel of them at me, and I intentionally unearthed more for the fun of it. Why? Because this is the only path to success.

I admit, not all challenges are fun; I've had my share of good old-fashioned problems that felt more like life's gifted torture devices. But I can't think of any, offhand, that was not worth every moment and my full attention.

The reality is, the more you dream of what you believe may be improbable to accomplish and try, the more likely you are to have a lot of obstacles get in your way. You can call them what you'd like, but whatever you call them—you can't have success at anything until you've solved a few monumental ones.

I'm listing my accomplishments to show you how I embrace challenges. Whether you dream of being a private investigator, business owner, computer engineer, pilot, photographer, speaker, consultant, or novelist writing characters who stir us to be better than ourselves, I hope you find inspiration here to find your inner strength, and search for the joy in life. The book offers a journey, a glimpse, of a heroine's journey to forge ahead into the deep, dark, frightening woods without a doubt in yourself. Now for the Bio- 

I'm the founder and CEO of Cluso Investigation (cluso.com). Yes, I'm a Private Investigator and Licensed Investigation Security Company owner. I have a Private Pilot's License, and for a time, I did APBA Offshore Boat Racing (Super-Cat Light.) Before that, I founded IntelliMark International and consulted on Worldwide IBM Deployment of business process reengineering projects. I graduated with a Bachelor's in Engineering Technology from the University of South Florida.

Why write fiction instead of a business book?

After reading my bio, you may be wondering why I wrote speculative fiction instead of a business book. I believe stories are more inspirational than business books. Although my novel is fiction, it begins where I began, on the docks of the Delaware coast. There was not anything magical about my childhood to ensure a future success story. My interests fueled my passion, and those led to achievement. The plot of this book began as a demonstration of how one law of physics impacts the path to success. Maybe you can figure it out, but I'll keep that one a secret for now. 

The Stealing

The Stealing is a new Modern Gothic Romance. The inspiration for this novel is buried somewhere between the mystique of the Delaware coast and dead-end coastal road where I grew up and the year of global pandemic lockdowns. Embedded in my debut novel is the "skeleton key" to navigating the difficult journey of life. The novel begins in the mysterious place of my youth on the Delaware coast.

If you've never traveled the coastal landscape south of the Saint Georges River to Bethany Beach, Delaware, you may want to make it an early morning trip as the fog lifts from the marshland and wildlife preserve. You will likely see the spirited fog linger longer than it should. Then you will know why this novel is more than a ghost story. The novel begins in the despair caused by isolation and becomes a journey in search of meaning and purpose.

I love to research, and the upcoming book includes subjects I find fascinating:

Delaware History: Maritime history, mythology, historical mysteries, lighthouse history, ghost stories, women's suffrage, gothic romance, and investigation.