“I write to ignite sparks in every quadrant of the reader’s brain.”

Writer and avid reader of character-driven, coming-of-age contemporary realistic fiction with elements of humor and satire. A Midwesterner through and through. Die-hard fan of Elvis, America’s open road, and Shakespeare’s lunatic, lover, and poet.

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Who/what made you want to write? Was there a particular person, or particular writers/works/art forms that influenced you?

I’ve been a writer my whole life, starting with old-school long-hand correspondence. Promising Young Man was not my first book idea, but it was the most pressing.

Tell us the story of your book’s title. Was it easy to find, or did it take forever?

My goal was to write an entertaining, fictional story that creates empathy and demystifies ADHD by letting the reader “walk in the shoes” that was worthy of being shelved alongside traditionally published comps and be taken seriously.

I’ve lived the ADHD experience. And I’d learned that the condition is widely misunderstood and also unfairly trivialized. While the world was telling squirrel jokes, ADHDers were becoming depressed addicts who either killed themselves or were incarcerated. My book’s funny; I promise. In my own little way, I wanted to make a change.

I come from a family of artists. Musicians and actors. And I’d learned from experience that you can’t wait for the powers that be to give you permission to perform. You have to create your own opportunities. My book wasn’t just for me; it was for them. I needed control over my writing, editing, cover design, and choosing the audiobook narrator.

But I learned that, as you travel on your writing journey, you and the world will evolve.

During the six years it took me to write my novel, our family lost over ten young men within one degree of separation to suicide. While I and my world evolved, so did my why.

What part of publishing your book made it feel real for the first time?

Seeing the star next to Booklist in the syndicated reviews area of Promising Young Man in the Libby app!

If your book had a soundtrack, what are some songs that would be on it?

The book does have a soundtrack! The Promising Young Man playlist on Apple Music. It features music from all genres and regions so you can travel with Oscar and Grammy across the United States. The music selection is also a sort of ode to the artist greats we lost to deaths of despair.

What’s one thing you hope sticks with readers after they finish your book?

Empathy and compassion for people like Oscar.

What was the most rewarding/meaningful part of publishing your book?

The notes of gratitude I receive from readers whose lives the book touched.

What creative projects are you currently working on?

The Promising Young Man audiobook is in production and actor Julian Josip is the narrator! I’m also currently working on a script adaptation and a second book. It’s a sort of sequel, and it will feature many of the same characters, but have a different protagonist.

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Are you a writer, too? Submit your manuscript to Atmosphere Press.