Hello North Platte! Hopefully you have all had a chance to read my book, “Welcome to Nebraska.” If not, I recommend getting it. IMMEDIATELY!!! But, shameless plugs aside, I would like to thank the North Platte Post for giving me the opportunity to directly engage with you, my endearing public.

Ok. All jokes aside, I realize my book has created a bit of a stir in our fair city, and a number of questions continue to surface about me and the content within. So, I have decided to dedicate my first blog entry on the Post to answering at least a handful of those questions. And please, feel free to insert your own queries here and I will attempt to answer them to the very best of my ability. Here goes:

1) Do you hate North Platte? The answer is a resounding “no.” I have spent a good portion of my life in the cozy confines of this community, and am not ashamed to call it my “hometown.” However, as many other “lifers” under the age of 40 will most likely agree, there is a lack of mainstream excitement here. That is why I attempted to create my own.

2) Are you a drug addict? Again, resoundingly “no!” That being said, I have engaged in a bit of research over the past two decades which involved me being, as one law enforcement official once told me, “not in the fire, but close enough to get burned.” I, unlike the characters in my book, was smart enough to observe behaviors without having to exhibit them.

3) Will you write again? I hope so. It is astoundingly hard to write a book, especially a fiction piece when you have nothing to go on but imagination and natural ability. I am not an “educated” writer, nor do I enjoy the luxury of a publisher, agent, specialized training, etc. I was a man with a story to tell, and I told it. However, the pieces of a sequel have been floating around my mind, so, God and time willing, I do plan to write again.

Well, that’s it for now. Post comments as you will and I will answer them accordingly. In closing, I wrote “Welcome to Nebraska” because I was not satisfied saying, “You know, I should really write a book.” I just decided to do it. You should try it. It’s actually very fun….

GV