The only thing that chafes me more than third-person bios are writers who squirm about writing third-person bios, so I'll keep this first person and relatively squirm-free.

I started writing for a pretty pedestrian reason-my parents got divorced when I was 12, and I needed something to do while locked in my bedroom.  In the intervening 13 years, writing has earned me spending money (in high school), a scholarship to college, and my rent since graduation.  I loved writing stories by myself, with nothing at stake; and experimenting with different styles, genres, and modes with my friends in college; and it's a different thrill, but still quite a thrill to work as a professional.

I was born and raised in suburban Long Beach, and I'm currently living with my wife next to the traffic circle in a small townhouse with a second-story office that looks into the branches of our patio's trees.  Currently occupying my time are a full-time sportswriting gig, and a novel in round two billion of revisions. I love what I do.