I was born in Jefferson City, Missouri to a family of all twins (a brother and two younger sisters). I've been told that I liked to write at a young age, but I don't remember that at all. I first remember really getting into writing during a creative writing class at Helias High School. After high school, I studied at Lindenwood University. I thought business was a more practical field than writing, but that only lasted for one boring class. Instead, I earned my degree in English and communications.I'm a big fan of wandering around--usually a walk around the neighborhood will keep me happy--but after college I took it to a new level. Despite aiming for film school in Los Angeles, I ended up working at a casino on the Pojoaque Pueblo in New Mexico. It was a life changing experience in many ways, but that episode first got me interested in Western themes in my work.After a little more wandering, and graduate school at Missouri State University, I moved back to Jefferson City, where I currently live with my wife and daughter. I teach online writing courses for Columbia College, and I also work at Communiqué, Inc., a communications firm my dad founded just months before I was born. I don't have much free time, but when I do I still like to write and wander, and I can't wait to see what happens next.