My Story
Me, working in my marvelous van.
By day, I’m a self-employed computer technician—navigating the modern-day chaos caused by out-of-the-box software developers, scammers, poorly thought-out updates, and bad decisions.
Oops. You clicked.
By early morning, I’m a keyboard warrior, hammering my Mac into dust one keystroke at a time.
I grew up in Sherwood Park, Alberta—famous for being the world’s largest hamlet.
What does that tell you? Trouble in the making? Maybe.
But I had the best childhood I could wish for: me, two younger brothers, and my core friends—all on one street—plus parents who gave us the best life they could.
School and I never got along.
During grades 7 through 9, I was sequestered in a private boys' school, where I was lucky enough to meet a few like-minded friends. Fantasy role-playing consumed our free time—much to the dismay of the ruling authorities, who eventually banned our games for reasons I still don’t understand.
That, ironically, became the true catalyst for my creativity.
It forced me to develop new tools and methods to play in secret.
So… thanks, ruling authority.
For those familiar with tabletop RPGs, you know how intricate the rules and dice mechanics can be.
Now imagine a completely handheld edition—small enough to fit in a pocket, playable while strolling the grounds in apparent conversation.
No dice in sight.
That was our workaround.
And it worked.
I spent most of my school years daydreaming and distracted.
I began writing in grade eight English class—scribbling stories on loose-leaf paper, napkins, and whatever else was within reach.
At the time, I hoped my ramblings would be passable for some assignments.
It kind of worked.
Thanks to the encouragement of my English teacher, those rough ideas began taking shape.
Of course, not all my early work was well received.
I still remember one of my first reviews:
“Who wrote this crap?” —Dad
In grade 11, a friend from my private school days introduced me to the fine art of skipping class—and my ability to disappear expanded beyond RPGs.
Midway through that year, I took things a step further. Using my trusty TRS-80 Colour Computer II and a photocopier, I pulled off my own Ferris Bueller stunt:
I dropped out of high school without my parents knowing.
I forged my own report cards.
Even a diploma.
And I got away with it… for nearly two years—until I got caught.
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Somewhere along the way, I sorted myself out.
I met my wife in the late 1980s, got married in the early ’90s, Moved to Vancouver Island and became a father to a Y2K baby.
We've lived on VanIsle ever since—more than three decades of island life.
People often ask me where my inspiration comes from.
The answer is simple—it started with those early RPG days.
I spent countless hours crafting worlds and campaigns, shaping stories for others to enjoy.
But a defining moment in my creative journey came in the mid-1990s with the loss of my best friend, Walter Alex Solski.
Walter—Walex, as I called him—was there in my private school days.
He was the key player in our rebellious, secretive gaming era,
and a great friend throughout the trailing decade.
His influence runs deep in my work, and after his passing,
I found myself revisiting old drafts and reshaping them into something bigger.
Now, decades later, those early adventures are just distant echoes in my writing. But every now and then, something will come to me,
or I’ll stumble across a line that takes me right back—
delivering the occasional laugh and smile.
Fast forward to today, and I’ve spent nearly 40 years pouring my heart and soul into a science fiction and fantasy series:
The Dark Razor Chronicles.
This series captures the same magic, monsters, and sword fights that fueled those early RPG years.
With eleven books written and more on the way, I’m excited to continue sharing this journey with readers.
Even my reviews have improved:
“I really enjoyed that.”
“When is the next one coming?”
—Dad
Walter Alex Solski and I'm the grinning one.