Born and raised in the American midwest. In the fourth grade, Mrs. Arent had to quiet me down because I was laughing out loud while reading Judy Blume. I've loved reading ever since. In my 20's, I worked as a political aide, small-town journalist, telemarketer, senior customer finance administrator, janitor, and warehouse loader. I finally hit upon the idea of becoming a teacher, both at the high school and college level. I've wanted to be a writer since high school but sadly lacked the discipline for many years. It was only after meeting my wife, Heather, that I began to develop the discipline needed to embark on a writing career. I spent several years writing a crappy 210,000-word magnum opus that lacked a plot or any recognizable characterization. It was the best writing education I could have received.