C.J. Lanet

Ida Lupino once said, "You are the most interesting guy in the world." Indeed, I'm the profile behind the infamous beer commercial except my mother had two tattoos on her arms that said "son."

That's me on a return of the grand Africa and Mediterranean voyage. I departed from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and sailed south for two days to the West Indies. Over the course of four days the ship stopped in St. Barts, Guadeloupe, Martinique and Barbados before returning to sea and heading to Africa. Cape Verde was the first port in Africa, followed by Gambia and Senegal. In the Mediterranean portion of the cruise, I hit 25 ports; stops included Spain, the Canary Islands, Morocco, Italy, Montenegro, Egypt, Israel, Turkey and Greece. The final Mediterranean destination was Portugal, after which I returned to the Atlantic and headed back to New York harbor. With all this and much more, I was able to complete "The Confessions of a Grasshopper" and the final installment of "Catcher McCall - Part Three: Lost and Return," which is scheduled to be published on September 15, 2012.

If you dare to waste one hour of time you lost the value of life. From my pen is this creed - the golden rule to prevent the mind from rusting. I have often regretted my writing, never my silence. Yet through it all - my words are not faked. Hands-on experience makes the difference. Indeed, it's impossible to be a writer without having lived. My short list of skills may offer an insight to what I say.

Artist

Gambler

Grandfather

Industrialist

Inventor

Jailhouse Lawyer

Pilot

Pirate

Playboy

Prizefighter

Prophet

Tycoon

"Magic happens only when you make it happen."