As a native of California, R. L. Cherry has spent most of his life in the Golden State. However, the five years he lived on the Isle of Man in the British Isles not only gave him many ideas for his writing, but also a less Americentric perspective. As a Britophile, his love of things English, Irish, Scottish and Manx influence his writing, as does his love of mystery and history, all of which also come into play in his writing. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Dashiell Hammett, Raymond Chandler, Antonia Fraser and George MacDonald Fraser are a few of his favorite authors. Until Christmas Cracker, his only bound publication was his Masters' thesis. A copy is on a shelf in the library of the Centre… for Manx Studies (http://www.liv.ac.uk/manxstudies) on the Isle of Man, possibly the only American contribution. For over five years he has written a column under the name Ron Cherry on classic cars and hot rods for The Union newspaper in Grass Valley, CA, which reflects his passion for such works of automotive art.Learn more about R. L. Cherry and his writing at www.rlcherry.com