Where did you grow up and what was your childhood like? Did you have any particular experiences/stories that shaped your adult life?

I grew up in Southern California. My parents acted as models and gave me examples to follow. They were always hard workers and encouraged my imagination.

I remember one day my mother asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I answered her with cowboy, astronaut, pirate, superhero. She smiled and encouraged me that, yes I could be all those things if I wanted to be.

Well, guess what? Now after years of writing and dozens of books written I have been all those things. My characters are just extensions of myself.

What is something you wish you would’ve realized earlier in your life?

There is so much value to be found in suffering. By suffering I mean putting yourself in uncomfortable positions in order to grow.

What are bad recommendations you hear in your profession or area of expertise?

You need someone else’s approval before you can achieve your goals. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard this from other authors. Publishing a book? You need an agent for that right? Audiobook deals? Don’t you need an audiobook producer to reach out to you? Foreign Right? I guess I’ll wait for something to happen to get my work translated.

No, you don’t. You don’t need to wait for someone to give you permission. You just use it as an excuse not to do the work yourself.

Tell me about one of the darker periods you’ve experienced in life. How you came out of it and what you learned from it?

Coming to peace with the death of my best friend.

I wanted to ignore memories of him before because they caused so much pain. But I realized if I can think back on how grateful I am for the time I got to spend with him and then look forward to one day seeing him again, the pain is still there but so much less than before.

What is one thing that you do that you feel has been the biggest contributor to your success so far?

I pray and always start off with being thankful. I list off all the things I have that I’m grateful for. From, food to eat, to clothes on my back and a roof over my head. My wife and children to our friends and even pets.

There is so much to be thankful for if you’re just willing to look past what you want or feel you need.

What is your morning routine?

I’m up at 5 am Monday-Saturday and I take Sundays off. I start with brushing my teeth, washing my face, and hydrating before coffee. Then it’s to the office to answer emails, messages, and posts. My mind is then free to start working on whatever book I’m writing at the moment.

I can usually get 2,000 to 3,000 new words down in my latest novel before my family wakes up.

What habit or behavior that you have pursued for a few years has most improved your life?

Training myself to get into the flow state to write at any time of the day. There is no writer’s block. Writer’s block is an excuse you make because writing is hard. But you can do hard things if you practice.

What are your strategies for being productive and using your time most efficiently?

Wake up early before the world rises. Guard your time as your success depends on it because it does.

What book(s) have influenced your life the most? Why?

Never Split the Difference by Chris Voss. I am such a better negotiator when it comes to making business deals for my author career. From foreign rights to audiobooks and advertising opportunities, it’s been invaluable.

The 4-Hour Workweek by Tim Ferriss. So many great tips in here but one of the main ones for me was how important outsourcing can be. It convinced me to get my own personal assistant and now I don’t know how I survived without the help.

Do you have any quotes you live by or think of often?

Do I? Do I? Oh boy, so many. I love quotes.

“Be like water.” – Bruce Lee

“Do not go gentle into that good night, rage, rage against the dying of the light.” –Dylan Thomas

“If you write one story it may be bad, if you write a hundred you have the odds in your favor.” – Edger Rice Burroughs

The man in the Arena by Theodore Roosevelt. It’s too long to quote here but google it. It’s good for you. Trust me.