Ross Cavins graduated with a BS in Computer Science from UNC Greensboro. He currently works as a freelance website designer and internet programmer and lives in the North Carolina Piedmont.

Two divorces and a mid-life crisis pushed him to pursue his life-long dream of writing a book. This is as close as it gets for now. His primary goal is to one day visit a bookstore and hear, "Hey, is this you?" instead of, "Hey, you gonna pay for that?"

His work has appeared in Swill Magazine, Hiss Quarterly, USA Deep South, Hack Writers, Dead Mule, and elsewhere. He's much funnier in person.

And more important, he is married to the hottest and most intelligent woman in the world.

He has been published at:

• hackwriters.com: The Other Twin (Oct 2007), Fat Chance (Oct 2007).

• usadeepsouth.com :  A Summer Sunday (featured June 2008)

• swillmagazine.com :  Sammy's Night Out (out by July 2008)  Print Publication

• hissquarterly.com :  Have Fun Tonight (Feb 2008)

• deadmule.com :  Stealing Maw Maw's Pictures (Jan 2008)

• buran.it :  Una grassa opportunità (Feb 2008) Fat Chance translated to Italian!!

I have a collection of connected short stories, Follow The Money, which won an award for humor.

My Google Plus page: Ross Cavins

Seriously ...

I'm an aspiring writer who's slowly gathering steam and as I've developed my style, I've found myself drawn to the likes of Elmore Leonard, Nelson DeMille, Pat Conroy and James Lee Burke amongst others. They are masters of the written word.

I draw from many influences but I recently discovered that most of my inspiration comes from being Southern. It was a journey to realize just how deep my roots spread but it was a journey worth taking.

The acknowledgement that I am indeed a Southern Writer was a big surprise to me. I hadn't fully comprehended the gestalt of it all until I decided to write what came natural. Then the revelation appeared.

You have to write what you know ... and what I know about is being Southern.

Growing up, I had shunned the South even to the point of erasing my Southern drawl. Even to this day, it only emerges after a few strong drinks.

But now, I fully embrace my Southern heritage. We are a truly unique culture of geniality and hospitality and I believe we have an understanding of life that no one else can match.

It really is amazing how many similar experiences we all have.  That's what I aim for in my writing, to expose those little things on the edge of our consciousness that we never really give a second thought to, and when you learn that someone has experienced the same thing, it takes on a new meaning for you.  It forces you to stop and smell the roses, in a way.

I love to make people laugh with my writing but also, I love to make people smile.