The characters in The Spirit are fiction, although I based some of the characters on real people. The comradery and love the three couples have in the book is an accurate description of what many of us experienced in real life.

There was a bond between the helicopter pilots as strong as any family. My first room mate Jim and his wife Lou became Shirley and my closest friends in flight school. Some of our adventures were modified and used in The Spirit. 

We even shared a house for a short while in Ft. Wolters, the results similar to what happens when my characters share a house. Fortunately we were able to continue being friends after that.

I named my website and email after something that happened in one of our adventures.

One day the four of us were driving to Dallas, on the way to Six Flags over Texas. Boredom comes easy when you are 22 and energetic. During the trip, to pass he time we began reading signs and billboards as we passed. “See the USA in your Chevrolet.”  “Lucky Strike Means Fine Tobacco”, and whatever happened to be on the signs at that time.

I read one which said something like, “Billings Dry cleaning inc.

So, being funny I read it as, “Billings Dry Cleaning, ink.

Jims wife Lou was not one to hold back on her opinions, and immediately corrected me on my reading ability and said very seriously, “That’s Incorporated, you dumb shit.”

That punch line remained and was used in many other situations.

Of course in the name of my web site, “ink” also has a double meaning, as my web site is about writing.

But really, everyone needs to know it’s really, Incorporated you dumb shit.