Unless you're one of my students. Then, as far as you're concerned, my first name is Mister.

I've been writing since I discovered the talent in the 7th grade. Back then, all I wanted to do was be out of school and never step into a school building again. So, in a way, I can see the irony since that's the age I teach now. My first novel, Surviving, is written for an upper middle grades (8th-9th) and young adult audience (but that doesn't mean adults can't read it!).

In my off-time, I enjoy being outdoors. It really helps to unwind. But, that isn't to say I don't enjoy sitting on the couch snuggled with my pup, little baby girl, and wife reading a book or playing a game.

While writing, I pull my inspiration from what I know. When I was a freshman in high school, we always theorized what we would do if zombies showed up wherever we were. For my friends, it was a game. For me, it was a test in my survival knowledge to figure out how we would live through the experience. This is what initially started Surviving. One day, a friend of mine said, "What about the long run?"

What would we do if it were truly happening? We wouldn't be safe because we escaped one situation. What would the world turn into? What would people be like?

This shaped my thinking for this novel.

As for things I've written since then, my experiences, as well as what I have witnessed in others' experiences, have lead me to write how I feel and what I think. These experiences are what guide my characters in what they do. ​

I'm super excited to add the birth of our little girl!

This little angel was born in June! She must be really excited to read my books. She waited until the morning after I finished writing and submitted my first draft of Enduring to come! What a polite little girl.