About me

This is how old I was when I began writing Eleanor.

I'm a husband, a dad, head of product design at a startup, and a writer. Being those four people consumes most of my time, but in the spaces between I manage to be a semi-competent drummer, a pencil collector, an avid reader, an untrained doodler, a goes-for-long-walks-er, and a perpetually-displeased-with-his-leaky-roof Jeep owner.

I was born in Texas, and for most of my youth ricocheted between there and Alaska; in my twenties, I spent a little time in Nevada, Washington, and California, too. These days, my family and I live in Scappoose, Oregon, on a wooded hill. On clear days, and at just the right angle, I can see Mts. Hood, St. Helens, and Adams from here.

In 2001, I started the long journey of writing Eleanor. In 2014, I self-published a version of the novel; in 2016, it was formally published by Crown. It has since been translated into German, Turkish, and Portuguese. In 2019, Roaring Brook published my first young adult novel, Awake in the World. The Edge of Sleep, an adaptation of the hit horror podcast, is now available from St. Martin's Press.

A seriously outdated author photo, missing all the gray in my beard.

Between 2012 and 2014, I self-published several novels, including Greatfall, set in the dystopian world of Hugh Howey's Wool, and a short fiction collection, Deep Breath Hold Tight. My stories have appeared in Lightspeed and the anthologies Loosed Upon the World and Help Fund My Robot Army!!! I've also worked here and there as a ghostwriter.

I've been tracking my reading habits on this site for the last several years; you can see what books I've been reading here.

I also design book covers on the side. You can see my past work here, or hire me if you're looking for a designer for your project.

I'm currently writing The Dark Age, an adaptation of my short story of the same name.