I’ve always been an avid reader of fiction, usually gravitating toward stories that follow the same character or group of characters across multiple books. I enjoyed getting to know them over time and learning more about them as the story unfolded. Whenever I finished a series, I felt a little sad because it felt like saying goodbye to friends.

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What drew me in most wasn’t the setting or even the genre. It was the characters. I’ve always been interested in people and how they react when they’re pushed into difficult situations. Seeing how someone adapts, changes, or reveals who they really are under pressure has always been the most interesting part of a story for me.

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When I was younger, I started with fantasy fiction. Piers Anthony was probably my first favorite. Over time I branched out into science fiction, mystery thrillers, action thrillers, and eventually urban fantasy. The genre never mattered as much as the people inside the story.

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That’s one reason I enjoy writing dystopian fiction. The worlds I write don’t have to follow the exact rules of our reality, but they still have structure. Within that structure, characters are often forced to make tough decisions.

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I hope that when someone finishes one of my stories, the world sticks with them for a while. Maybe later they’ll think back to it and wonder how they would have existed in that world. Would they have made the same choices as the characters, or would they have done something different?