Art Tirrell (1941) lives near the shore of Lake Ontario in upstate New York. He likes to write character-rich stories with generous dashes of romance. By way of full disclosure, some will say he possesses only shallow hints of the former, and others claim he hasn't the slightest idea how to inspire the latter. 

Agreed, this is not the perfect man and those who hope to discover one can stop here. In the author's defense, we point to his published novels, The Secret Ever Keeps (2007) and The Vitaman Effect (2010), both of which were well received by critics and are undeniably romantic in tone. Also in the repetoire is one unsold novel, tentatively titled, "The Wind from Entouhonoron," and two works in progress as yet to be named.

These also contain those elements the author's critics insist he's found so hard to get right in real life. 

In his unforced life, Art Tirrell is a waterperson with a Craig's list of formerly owned things that float, including a V-21, a Seafarer 26, a Rhodes 19 (keel), a Finn, Lightnings (3!), a Laser, an Irwin half ton, a Cape Cod frosty, a 2nd V-21, a J-24, an Islands 17, a 1975 Mako 23 with twin 135hp Johnsons. All are in his past.  His current mistress, a beautiful 1982 Freedom 25 complete with gun mount and all the accessories, might have some staying power. He thinks she is the perfect boat for a man of 70.                 

He is a cyclist and rides a restored 2001 LeMond Chambery. In his dreams he has an engine just as big as Greg's. He will get a ride in soon ... avoiding all hills because on them reality tends to impress itself on him in a heartless way.

The author is also a downhill skier. As objects of worship, his stainless steel Volants have no equal. It is definitely possible, as the author's age increases, that visitors to his home might at some point see the Volants pretending to be wall art, and a new set of parabolic Volants hiding nearby.  

His sports teams are the Indians, the Browns, the 'Cuse, and team Dennis Connor. There hasn't been much to follow lately, but its not a problem. Art first learned how to deal with setbacks at the age of thirteen, in 1954, when Willie Mays and the Giants crushed the tribe 4-0 in the Series.  

He is a long time member of Novelpro, an online list of writers who under close supervision exchange in-depth full-novel critiques, and as this is written 9/15/11, he is contemplating a crit from one member (whose name will be known worldwide) and apologizing for the harshness of a crit given another member whose name already is.