Where did you grow up, and how did this influence your writing?
I grew up in the southern part of New Jersey, just across the bridge from Philadelphia. We spent summers at the Jersey Shore so the beach pops up quite frequently in my books. Also, being so close to Philadelphia, I was able to attend dozens of professional theatrical productions in my teen years and that certainly influenced my style of storytelling.
Do you remember the first story you ever read, and the impact it had on you?
Dracula. It started my obsession with all things vampire.
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