I was brought up in a strictly Catholic country and was for a time heavily pressured to enter a seminary and become a priest. My transformation took decades and involved becoming an expert in the Bible and ancient Middle Eastern scriptures and cultures. I got so deeply into this that I self-published a book (A Merry Little Bible, by Car Melo, available at Amazon.com, This book pokes fun at the Bible stories while analyzing their origins and purpose.I am now retired (financial analysis was my profession) and working on a new novel. I also like travel and the outdoors, like hiking, camping and scuba diving.