About

I live, write, and teach in Sarasota, Florida, my home and native town. I am a professor of Creative Writing at the Ringling College of Art and Design, where I teach classes on writing for video games, writing for tabletop games, writing comics, the history of game art, and other fun stuff. Born in 1972, I grew up in Florida before going on to attend college at American University in Washington DC (where I earned a BA in History) and then Ohio State University (where I didn't earn an MA in History). It was in those bleak, cold, Ohio years of the mid-90's that I started writing for a living, and he hasn't stopped since.

Over the next few years I scratched out a rewarding if poor living writing role-playing game books for numerous product lines, including: Wraith: The Oblivion, Kult, Conspiracy X, Deadlands, Vampire: The Masquerade, and Dungeons & Dragons. In 2000 I came up with an idea for an online computer game which eventually became the hit 2004 release, City of Heroes. Teaming up with long-time friend Michael Lewis and a bevy of talented folks, I moved out to San Jose, California and helped found Cryptic Studios. Three years later my partners fired me, but that didn't stop me from continuing to work on the City of Heroes and writing and publishing a twelve issue comic book series based on the game.

My first novel, Geek Mafia, was published in 2006, followed by the sequels Geek Mafia: Mile Zero in 2008 and Geek Mafia: Black Hat Blues in 2009. My fourth novel, The Cthulhu Cult: A Novel of Lovecraftian Obsession, was released in 2010. In 2010, I completed my Masters of Fine Arts in Creative Writing through the Rainier Writers Workshop at Pacific Lutheran University. I went on to found and serve as lead game designer for for the ill-fated Mob Rules Game. From 2013 to 2015 I worked as a writer and level builder for Blue Mammoth Games. Throughout this time I also wrote numerous articles for newspapers and magazines about video games, theme parks, and local restaurant news.

I have taught at Ringling College of Art & Design in the Creative Writing Department since 2016 and continues to write books and design games. At Ringling College, I organized our ongoing tabletop game conference, Anyone’s Game, which was held for the third time in February, 2022.

Recent Projects

Writing Sci-Fi, Fantasy, and Horror for Dummies, Wiley 2022, co-author with Ryan Van Cleave

Phantom of the Bastille, GUMSHOE Community Content 2020, author

Novels 

The Cthulhu Cult: A Novel of Obsession, Arcane Wisdom 2011, author

Geek Mafia: Black Hat Blues, PM Press 2009, author

Geek Mafia: Mile Zero, PM Press 2008, author

Geek Mafia, Blue King Studios, 2006, author 

Video Game Design and Writing 

Brawlhalla, Blue Mammoth Games, 2015, early character concept and story development

DungeonBlitz, Blue Mammoth Games 2012-2015, level designer and lead writer

City of Heroes, Comic Book Series 1, Blue King Studios 2004-2005, writer

City of Heroes, Online RPG, Cryptic Studios, 2003-2005, contributing writer

City of Heroes, Online RPG, Cryptic Studios, 2000-2002 Lead Designer 

Tabletop RPG Writing and Design 

After Lovecraft: The Horror at Red Hook , 2009, author

Enter The Zombie, Eden Studios 2001, author

Crucible: Conquest of the Final Realm, Fasa 2001, co-author

Enter The Zombie, Eden Studios 2001, author

Clanbook: Ventrue, White Wolf 2000, author

Rise of the Titans, Wizards of the Coast 2000, author

Crimson Skies Aircraft Manual, Fasa 2000, contributor

Aberrant: The Directive, White Wolf 2000, co-author

Winter Court, AEG 2000, contributor

Coming of Shadows, Agents of Gaming 2000, co-author

All Flesh Must be Eaten, Eden Studios 1999, co-author

Fantastic Four Roster Book, Wizards of the Coast 1999, co-author

Atlas of Earth Alliance Wars, Agents of Gaming 1999, co-author

Planetary Adventures, Last Unicorn Games 1999, contributor

Planets of the UFP, Last Unicorn Games, 1999, contributor

The First Line: Starfleet Intelligence Handbook, Last Unicorn Games 1998, co-author

Void in the Heavens, AEG 1999, author

Back East: The North, Pinnacle Entertainment 1999, co-author

Chlidren o' the Atom, Pinnacle Entertainment 1998, co-author

Exodus, Eden Studios 1997, co-author

Atlantis Rising, Eden Studios 1997, co-author

Aegis Handbook, Eden Studios 1997, contributor

Cryptozoology, Eden Studios 1997, co-author

Nemesis, New Millennium Entertainment 1996, co-author

The Venusian Apocalypse: The Second Seal of Repulsion, Target Games 1996, author

The Venusian Apocalypse: The Four Riders, Target Games 1996, author

The Venusian Apocalypse: Beyond the Pale, Target Games 1996, author

Heart Mind & Soul, Target Games 1996, editor and contributor

Beyond the Boundaries, Target Games 1996, editor and contributor

Dark Kingdom of Jade, White Wolf 1995, co-author

Wraith Players Guide, White Wolf 1995, contributor