Eric was born in Toronto in 1957, which makes him "real old". But, as Eric says, "Just because I have to grow old doesn't mean that I have to grow up!" In his many roles as parent, teacher, social worker, youth sports coach and writer he is in constant contact with children and young adults. He draws from these experiences and feels that this helps him to capture the realistic interaction between young people - the conflicts, tensions, stresses and interests that make up their lives.

Eric began his writing as a teacher. He taught in classes from kindergarten up and his stories often reflect the curriculum that he was teaching. He always read stories - picture books and novels - to his students and this helped him to understand what children liked, responded to, and were inspired by. He enjoys the enthusiasm of his students and often looks at them to provide him with the inspiration to pursue a particular topic in both the classroom and in his writing.

Eric tries to write every day. When he has a story idea he starts with research. This could involve reading books, watching a documentary, or trying to experience the things that his characters are going to go through. This could include rock climbing or riding white water (for STARS), spending time in a wheelchair (Rebound), playing and walking with tigers (Tiger By The Tail), hanging around a tough biker bar (Diamonds in the Rough), or standing out in his backyard in a blizzard wearing a T-shirt and shorts (Trapped In Ice).

"The most important thing anybody ever told me about writing was to write what you know . . . and the only way to get to know things is to do your homework and research before you write," Eric stated.

Once the writing begins the story is always playing around in his head. He takes any opportunity, even if it's just a few minutes between presentations, to put things down, either with pen and paper or on his laptop.

Prior to entering teaching and writing Eric was a social worker (B.S.W., M.S.W., B.A. Hons. Psych). He worked in a variety of settings including child welfare, private practice, a mental health centre, and as a crisis worker in the emergency department at a local hospital. Originally he thought he might leave social work when he became a teacher, but he found he still enjoyed his job and remains part-time in the emergency department at Credit Valley Hospital in Mississauga, Ontario. In many of his books (STARS, Diamonds in The Rough, Visions), social workers are included as characters.

The majority of Eric's time is spent in the company of his wife, children and dogs (two poodles - a large black standard named Cleo, and a little tiny white miniature named Winnie the Poodle).

The interests of his children in sports dovetail with Eric's love of sports. He often finds himself either coaching or managing his children who play soccer and basketball. Eric readily admits that he loves competition but emphasizes that playing the game and treating people well, is much more important than winning.

Eric's other love is music. He enjoys a wide range of music including rock, reggae, and contemporary, but most often finds himself listening to jazz. Along with his youngest daughter, Julia, Eric has a passion for the saxophone and they both play the alto saxophone.