ABOUT ME
I’m the author of four and a half novels for young adults. Click BOOKS above for details.
Before that, I dropped out of NYU film school in the 1980s to play guitar and write songs for the punk-pop band, Woofing Cookies. My experience with the Cookies was the inspiration for The Scar Boys.
I spent the next 30 years working in a variety of jobs in the book industry. Today I’m a freelancer writer, and consult for ReedPop, the awesome group of people who host Emerald City Comic Con, C2E2, Florida Supercon, and New York Comic Con.
I hardly ever get to use my blackbelt in Taekwondo (you can still beat me up, but I’m going to look good while you do it), and spend my free time attempting to play ice hockey. Along with my better half, Kristen, our two sons, a very energetic dog, and two mysterious cats, I live on the coolest cul-de-sac in Colorado. You can find us there making S’mores with our neighbors many summer and fall nights.
FAQ
Q: Where do you get your ideas?
A: Short answer: Everywhere. Every. Where.
A: Longer answer: The Scar Boys and Scar Girl were inspired by the years I spent playing bands. In one band, Woofing Cookies, our van broke down while we were on tour, and we got stranded in Georgia. That experience forms the spine of The Scar Boys. That book is really a love letter to music.
Life in a Fishbowl came from an online meme I saw many years ago about a man who listed his life for sale on eBay. What, I thought, would happen if someone listed their actual life for sale?
My next book, TITLE T/K, is about boy who doesn’t know he’s actually an AI, and what it means to be a person.
Q: Which of your books is your favorite?
A: That’s like asking a parent which of their children they like best… you just can’t choose. I’m always most excited about what I’ve most recently completed.
Q: What advice do you have for your writers?
A: Write every day. Read every day. Share your work with peers, and read Stephen King’s On Writing.
Q:Was your band famous?
A: Uh, no. Our music was played on a lot of college radio stations, and we had some cool gigs, but it was never enough to pay the rent.
Q: Who are some of your favorite writers?
A: Well, I’m a bookseller, so it’s hard to narrow down. To start, Jason Reynolds (Long Way Down), Andrew Smith (Winger), Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman (Illuminae series), JK Rowling (Duh!), Cory Doctorow (LIttle Brother and Homeland), Pierce Brown (Red Rising series). Nicole Yoon (The Sun Is Also a Star), Jess Brody (Chaos of Standing Still)… That only scratches the surface, and that’s just YA. I’m also a big fan of David Mitchell, Jon Krakauer, Tony Horwtiz, Pam Houston, and many, many, many other writers.
Q What Hogwarts House are you.
A: Slytherin, bitches.
Q: Do you write to music?
A: Actually, no. I write anonymously in coffee shops. I like the ambient noise. Sometimes I will edit to music.
Q: What’s your favorite thing about living in Colorado?
A: Everything. Every. Thing. Especially the people, the weather, Tattered Cover, Red Rocks, the Colorado Avalanche, the Colorado Rockies, Twist and Shout Records, the Goods Restaurant, the mountains, Alamo Drafthouse, Glenwood Springs, Keystone… I could go on all night.