about me

I never really thought of myself as a writer, even though years ago I did include "writing a book," as part of my wish list of things to accomplish in my lifetime. Funny, I don't remember writing on my list, getting life savings ripped off by Madoff-type swindler. Anyway, life goes on and I have learned a great deal about myself from all that I've experienced, both the good and not so good, which I have tried to use to fuel my writing.

I have been asked where the characters in my books come from, which gave me pause to think about their origins. I have read that in dreams we play all the characters, which seems strange, especially when I find myself being chased by a monster in one of them. I suppose to be truthful, I am the monster also, though it is hidden deep inside me, hopefully in chains.

My characters, like those in my dreams are somehow pieces of myself, some carried over from childhood fantasies, others from the harshness of reality, while still a few come from places I have not come to know. They are the surprises, which is what makes writing so interesting and unpredictable. There is always an element of the unknown, something I do not always embrace in real life, but couldn't live without in my writing world.

About the title Painted Lives
I believe we are all the same at our core. Our differences, what makes us unique, come from the way we react to life’s events, our upbringing, our race, education, religion, environment and spirituality to name a few. In my mind, I think of our differences as layers of paint, which we apply to ourselves continually from the day we are born. Some of us wear thick paint to hide what lies beneath the surface, while others work diligently to remove their paint, so they can begin to see who they truly are. My desire is that Painted Lives will not only entertain you with its rich stories, but that it will also help to remove a little of the paint you may not need anymore.

As for Authonomy.
I am pleased to be here, but do not see myself wrestling for the number one spot to ensure a place with the editors at Harper Collins. For this reason, I am not particularly interested in playing the games necessary to do so. If I like your book, I will back it and give you my comments, which usually end up being on the positive side. For any of you that choose to read Painted Lives, I am grateful for your time, effort and especially your honest comments.

favourite books

Fantasy: The Tolkien series; Spiritual/Fiction: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho, Mutant Message Down Under by Marlo Morgan; Biographies: Autobiography of a Yogi, Thomas Jefferson, Nikola Tesla, The Rockefellers; Metaphysical: Carlos Castaneda series, Travels by Michael Crichton, Holographic Universe by Michael Talbot; Science: A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking,

my websites

http://www.craigbassett.com