RICHARD TYLER JORDAN (self-proclaimed author and accidental humorist) has stumbled through life with the kind of dumb luck that suggests he might have been Mr. Magoo in a past life. Raised in Peabody, Massachusetts, he couldn't wait to ditch his unsophisticated family ("They considered it fine dining if the food had to be transferred from a bag to a plate before eating") in search of people who knew how to use more than one type of fork at dinner. With dreams of escaping his deadly dull hometown, he bolted to Los Angeles. There, in a stroke of kismet (or possibly confusion), the Walt Disney Studios saw potential in his enthusiasm (and naivete). "I think they were initially charmed by what they believed to be a rare blend of gullibility and a tireless work ethic and decided I was the missing puzzle piece in Walt's empire of dreams."

 

Over the next three rollercoaster decades, Jordan was thrown into the meat grinder of over 500 feature film publicity campaigns—though he swears he only remembers five of them, and he's pretty sure three were just very bad dreams. Amid crafting publicity materials for what he sarcastically refers to as "movies even popcorn with extra butter couldn't save," he began penning what he modestly calls "novels." His literary "gems," with titles like Overnight Sensation, Strangers in the Night, Gay Blades, and One Night Stand, raised more than a few eyebrows—including his mother's. And Mickey wasn't thrilled about being the muse for Hollywood's latest scandalous potboilers either. "Who knew rodents were so sensitive?" Richard says.

 

When he tired of writing what friends called "Richard's naughty books," and to avoid any more awkward encounters on the Studio lot with judgmental anthropomorphic mice, Richard ventured into the realm of writing cozy murder mysteries. Thus, the Polly Pepper Mysteries series was created. With tantalizing titles like A Corpse in the Castle and Final Curtain (for the curious, a treasure hunt awaits at www.Richardtylerjordan.com), Jordan whipped up concoctions where the puns hit harder than Diana Ross’s legendary temper tantrums, and the only thing sharper than his humor is has-been TV star Polly Pepper's knack for tripping over cadavers and unraveling the mysteries behind how they got that way.

 

Now, in what he cheekily dubs "the sequel to my already enviable life," Richard lives in England with his dashing Irish husband in a 500-year-old cottage and a ghost that's more "meh" than "boo." He's embraced the art of castle-crashing (legally, of course). He loves nothing more than to visit ancient ruins and stay in castles-turned-boutique hotels. Whether writing his next book with a glass of wine or plotting his next castle getaway, Richard Tyler Jordan is living proof that life can be just as much fun as a Hollywood rom-com.

 

To offer castle invitations, book club banters, or to inquire about his ghost's latest antics, visit www.Richardtylerjordan.com.

 

Just don't expect him to remember the details of those 495 forgotten Disney films.