Hi, I’m Rook. I’m a writer, software developer, husband, and father. Most of my professional work has been in software development and non-fiction writing. In 2017, I left my job at an enterprise software company and decided to take a crack at completing one of my bucket list items: write a novel. Like many aspiring authors, I have a collection of opening chapters of several books hidden away but I was never committed to finishing one. That changed in mid-2017 when I started working on a new novel in earnest and declared that I would finish and publish it. That was Cubicleland.
Since you’ve come to the “About Rook Winters” page, I’m assuming you want to learn some things about me. I’m a fairly private person but that doesn’t make for a very interesting About page, so here are some things you might not know:
I drink a lot of tea. ☕️ Hot tea, often English Breakfast or Earl Grey but any orange pekoe tea is usually fine by me. I really just write to pass the time in between trips to the kettle to make tea. I take my tea plain, black, clear, or no-sugar/no-milk. (How is it that modern society doesn’t have one way to refer to tea with nothing in it?) If you put cream in your tea, I’m not sure we can be friends.
I’m a dog person. 🐶 I know there are lots of cat lovers out there, and if you’re a cat person, that’s OK, I’m sure we can still get along. I will forever wonder what’s wrong with you that you think cats are better than dogs but other than that, we’ll be fine. 😿
I’m a sucker for dad jokes. 😂 I can’t help it. They’re best when they’re so bad that they’re funny (or maybe that’s the essence of all dad jokes). If you have a good dad joke, tweet it at me. I’m @rookwinters.
I’m a proud Canadian. 🇨🇦 I own a dual-stage, track drive snowblower because we get a ridiculous amount of snow every year (I ❤️ my snowblower). My published work uses American spelling but my brain prefers Canadian tendencies (“Put on your favourite colour toque and walk a few hundred metres to pick up my cheque”). I also say soccer baseball, not kickball. Look it up, it’s a thing here. Also, did I mention my snowblower? I really like that snowblower.
Sci-fi makes the world better. 👾 The cancellation of Firefly still makes me sad. Star Wars movie ranking: Empire, New Hope, Rogue One, Return of the Jedi, Force Awakens, Last Jedi, Phantom Menace, Revenge of the Sith, Attack of the Clones. Star Trek TNG was my show until Discovery came along.
Generosity rocks. Maybe that’s a weird thing to include here, but I’m always disappointed when I meet people who don’t feel any sense of responsibility to help the less fortunate. I believe wholeheartedly that those with plenty have a moral obligation help the poor, the suffering, and the disenfranchised. We’re all one species clinging to the edge of a giant rock hurtling through space. We should help each other out a little bit. Donating to a local shelter for the homeless and marginally housed is a great place to start. I’m also a fan of World Vision Canada, a global relief, development, and advocacy organization.
Oxford commas. Always.
Only a fraction of people understand the fine line between a numerator and a denominator.