Tom was born and raised in Arizona, where he lives with his wife. From the first time his second-grade teacher asked him to read to the first graders a short story he'd written, he was hooked. Writing fiction has been a part of his life ever since.Tom has more than twenty-two years of theatre experience as an actor and director. He is the former Artistic Director of two companies: Is What It Is Theatre, a community theatre company; and Chyro Arts Venue, a mixed-use venue hosting theatre, live music, visual art, spoken word, independent film, and other arts. Tom is currently writing young adult fiction full time."The best part of the job is the school visits," he says. "I love meeting teachers, librarians, and students, talking about writing, publishing, and life in general. I write YA because for all the drama and trauma I went through in high school, it was still one of the best times of my life. When you're a student, anything is possible. The best stories are found in that time of life."Tom is the author of PARTY, a YA novel told from 11 different points of view. His second YA novel, ZERO, is due out in Spring 2012.