J. B. Bergstad

name I’m told my father quipped: “Jim is a born writer.” He was right for I began my storytelling career as soon as I could talk. At age six my first grade teacher introduced me to Share Time and my imagination was off and running. I persisted in the invention of fantastic stories throughout my childhood, honing my skills as a teenager in a vain attempt, most often, to impress the girls.

I grew up in a racially tense, crime ridden, Compton, California during the decade of the fifties. I was nineteen, trying to put distance between the gang life and my future, when I met the woman I would marry. Short of my twenty-first birthday we eloped and began a life together that has endured for fifty plus years. Our children came quickly; five in all. The commitment of marriage brought the realities of life into sharp focus for me.

I was not able to pursue a college education, but I read, wrote and dreamed nonetheless. I have continued my reading habit in a voracious manner for over fifty years. Twenty years ago, I had the time to take my writing seriously. I have attended adult education classes and completed a course of study with the Long Ridge Writers Group. I continue my education at every opportunity. To date, I have completed one novel, Hyde’s Corner, soon to be released. Excerpts from the novel can be viewed at: www.hydescorner.com Selections from my newly published short story collection, Screwing the Pooch, can be viewed here: http://www.jbbergstad.com



Writing & Speaking

ISBN - Just the Facts Ma'am

11th December 2009
The title phrase of this article was made famous by a sharp-toned, tenor voiced actor named Jack Webb. He played hardnosed Los Angeles Police Detective, Joe Friday on a long running radio and later television series called, Dragnet. I chose the title of t... Read >
Writing & Speaking

Publish Traditionally or POD

11th December 2009
If you're an author seeking first time publication, I can save you time and unnecessary heartache. Try POD and here's why: I finished my first novel August 25, 2004. I realized the moment I typed the final word my novel would need a few edits. I was n... Read >
Writing & Speaking

Self-Publishing and POD Suicide

08th December 2009
The number of writers in America grows exponentially with the number of newborns taking their first breath each year. Writers of diverse ability and experience flood the marketplace. They come in all age groups and a variety of backgrounds. Formal educati... Read >