I was born in Chesapeake, Virginia. My family moved to Botetourt County when I was 11. Ever since then, 21 years later, I have been infatuated with Roanoke. I made it my home in 2014 when I attended Virginia Western Community College, and I have called it home ever since. I have written about Roanoke since I began writing fiction in 2012, though not ALWAYS in name. I truly feel that this city has something to offer that can’t be found in any other Southern city, and that is heratige, history, and character.

I write from experience. Even when I’m working in a genre that I can’t have experienced like Sci-Fi or Fantasy, my stories are still grounded in the real, in the nitty-gritty, in the raw of life. Growing up a gay man in the South in the Millennial generation has influenced each and every bit of my writing. I am writing stories for a newer generation who want to see their lives and their stories represented.

Having never ridden on Roanoke’s public transportation (being privileged enough to always have a car), I’m interested in this project to see what my amazing city’s public transit is like. As a 32-year old man having never needed to ride public transit in my city (again, very privileged for this), I hope to see the ways this service aids my beloved community.

The amazing closeness while maintaining the disparate nature of a large city has always been appealing to me about Roanoke. In my travels to larger cities like New York, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and even European cities like Dublin, London, Paris, Amsterdam, Venice, and Rome, I haven’t found a city that operates in the same way as my truly incredible home town.