Where did you grow up, and how did this influence your writing?
I grew up in the mountains of Southeastern Kentucky, though we moved to Nevada when I was a senior in high school. But those roots run deep. I have a love for ghost stories and superstitions. Myths and folklore run in my blood. Again, this is another reason I'm fascinated by the paranormal. Ghost hunting shows and true hauntings are a guilty pleasure. Some friends of mine and I are planning to go to a Virginia City ghost tour sometime this summer. So, it's not so surprising that I love me some magic and monsters.
Do you remember the first story you ever read, and the impact it had on you?
My parents were from the hippie era. My middle name, had I been a boy, would've been Aragorn. So it should be no surprise that they read the entire Lord of the Rings series to me when I was a kid. I can't remember a time I didn't know what a hobbit was. So you'll find a touch of fantasy or the paranormal in everything that I write. I can't help it. I still find myself looking for elves in the woods.
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