Ben Peller

Greetings All! Thanks for checking out my page! Writing has always been a powerful motivator in my life. I believe words can be used as weapons, against intolerance, against ignorance, and can defeat even the most blatant injustices. "Living the Gimmick," "To Live and Drink In L.A.," "To Live and Love In L.A.," and the finale of the "To Live" trilogy, "TO LIVE AND DIE IN fantasyLAnd," are all, of course, works of "fiction." However, historically fiction and reality have a way of dancing with one another to create a whirlwind of experience which, in retrospect, doesn't always come out in black and white. My books are definitely colored with biographical aspects. I was a professional wrestler for several years. I was young, and it was back in the day when "WWE" was known as the World Wrestling Federation. I spent much of my time in WWF staring up at the arena lights while being pinned. But I had a blast, and also toured with the Southwest Independent circuit where I collected some wild stories. So "Living the Gimmick," though technically fiction, will contain some recognizable characters. Purely coincidental, of course. I did grow up in Chicago, and I never knew my real father. I fled the Midwest winters immediately after graduating high school and came out to Los Angeles, where I lived in an Inn by the Sea. Bizarre Hollywood nights followed, along with crazy days wandering the beach. But I was always writing. And wrestling. That's the time I encountered Shawn. (And NO, it's not the famous one that was WWE Champion for years). This was a whole different person. After many injuries, both physical and mental, I decided to make writing my full time occupation. "To Live and Drink In L.A." chronicles many of these years, and fiction and reality waltz within its tales. Hope you enjoy the words. And enjoy the present moment. It's the only one we know for sure we're going to have! "To Live and Love In L.A." is another step in Shawn's growth, and "TO LIVE AND DIE IN fantasyLAnd" rounds out the trilogy. I came out to L.A. to become the World Wrestling Federation Champion and instead seized the World Writing Federation Championship, thus making this... as the Lizard King himself put it... the "strangest life I've ever known." In the meantime, feel free to email me at PellerBen@yahoo.com - I'm always happy to hear feedback, whatever it may be. Cheers!