Where did you grow up, and how did this influence your writing?
I've lived or spent a significant amount of time in most of the United States. I had what some would call a difficult childhood. I try to take the perspective that pain in life is transformative if we allow it to do so. As an only child I found myself alone in our back wood for hours with the family dog. I try never to let the imagination of childhood die in any aspect of my life, least of all my writing.
Who are your favorite authors?
Very few authors I dislike, so naming my favorites is difficult. I have been influenced by authors who use existential questions as themes in their work: Neil Gaiman, Isaac Asimov, Alan Moore, Ray Bradbury, Philip K. Dick, etc. Even though I don't write fantasy or science fiction, I use the same themes in my work to express questions about life and choices.
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