Ray H Gray’s love of writing began in 8th grade English class, receiving an “A” with a scary short story of childhood fears. His mom’s reaction was less than enthusiastic, so he set his creative writing dreams aside. As a young teenager, he failed to recognize her intense emotional engagement in his story, but the experience of living the frightening plot through writing remained with him.
Ray grew up in Southern California and Tennessee, becoming a Vanderbilt University graduate, naval aviator, and corporate manager. As a navy pilot, Ray suffered a near death experience in a motorcycle crash, changing his life perspective. Six months later, one of his fellow navy flight instructors asked Ray about his career intentions after the service. Ray’s words, “I’m going to become an author,” felt spoken by someone else. It was a moment he never forgot.
Decades of unpaid writing experience included family stories, work manuals, newsletters, and online forums. When he was laid off in 2016, his wife, Catherine, said, “You write. I’ll support you.” His debut novel, Entangled Passions, weaves near-death experiences into a romantic techno-mystery thriller involving intimate relationships, corporate intrigue, and personal possibilities. Entangled Passions published on Amazon in February 2020.