I don’t think there was ever a time in my life when I wasn’t thinking about storytelling. Before I even knew how to write my name, I was asking random people to jot down the many fictional scenarios running rampant in my head. I also used tape recorders to get my stories out into the world, resulting in a stack of hour-long cassettes filled with the incoherent ramblings of an overeager, ADHD-riddled preschooler. When I turned nine, I convinced my father to fly me to New York City to convince the receptionist at DC Comics headquarters to take my comic-book portfolio seriously. While that didn’t quite pan out, I knew I had a penchant for the written word when my third-grade creative writing teacher announced before the class that he had never met a student more talented. That prompted me to query my first book to publishers at the tender age of fourteen, and by high school, I had finished my first full-length novel. At the University of South Florida, I received my BA in English while pursuing an MA in Ancient History. During that time, my three fan-fiction submissions won 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place, while my horror story received runner-up for the prestigious Mary Shelley Wollstonecraft Award.
In 2017, I released the first in my fantasy series, Ages of Aenya, which stands at a 4.6 on GoodReads and 4+ stars on Amazon. The spin-off and follow-up to that book, The Princess of Aenya, received a number of accolades. IndieReader gave it 4.7 out of 5 stars, remarking, “Judged by top industry professionals–not as merely a great indie book–but as a great book, period,” while KIRKUS MAGAZINE, the most prestigious book reviewer on the planet, included The Princess of Aenya in their list of 20 Great Indie Books Worth Discovering.
My father’s restaurant business, and helping my wife raise two kids, have occupied the past twenty years of my life. But with one kid already in high school, I am fully devoted to my writing career. The Feral Girl, a prequel to Ages of Aenya, is in the works, with many more books to come.
When I am not working on my books, I am discussing other people’s books with my good friend, Heather, in our new podcast, Story Matters! Be sure to stop by and take a listen!
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