Like the protagonist of my first novel, Strip Cuts, I grew up in a small, blue-collar town in western Pennsylvania. My dream was to get out, see the world, have adventures and become a writer. It hasn’t always been as glamorous as I had imagined, but it has never been dull. Here are some of the day jobs I have done over the years to support my writing habit: landscaper, UPS truck loader, Christmas tree pruner, cashier, radio actor, construction worker, camp counselor, pool cleaner, factory laborer, envelope stuffer, data entry clerk, model, corn harvester, caterer, stage actor, bartender, movie extra, personal assistant, dishwasher, busboy, receptionist, office coordinator, ghostwriter, editor, adjunct English professor, traveling instructor, corporate trainer and instructional designer.
Crazy, huh? When I set out to be a writer, I had no direction whatsoever. Luckily, one of the first places I found on my journey was a community college in Pittsburgh. I enrolled for a couple of classes that sounded interesting, and this event changed my life. Like a starving man at a banquet, I couldn’t get enough.
Today, I hold a Master of Fine Arts degree from the University of Iowa, but my appetite for learning is as voracious as ever. Always seeking adventure, I have lived in New York City, Los Angeles and many other places in between. Aside from my published novels, I have scripted screenplays, written and work-shopped stage plays, and completed various ghostwriting assignments.