Getting lost in a book shouldn’t be defined by what sex you are. When people say, "Boys don't read", my face turns fire-engine red and steam blows out of my ears like Wile E. It makes me furious because it’s not true.
I started reading when I was four, and by the time I was six, I was a voracious reader. My parents weren’t around often (and when they were, they weren’t present) so I was raised by Dr. Seuss, Louis Sachar, Lois Lowry, C.S.
Dixon, Madeleine L'Engle and R.L. I spent lifetimes in the library, devouring one book after another, unable to stop turning the pages. And as my homelife got worse, I retreated further and more frequently into stories.
Though society frowned on comic books while I was growing up, Chris Claremont’s X-Men run got me through some really rough times. Okay, I’m not a “boy” anymore; I’m a grown man. But I love books so much, I made it my life’s work to become a writer.
It took longer than was ideal, so I ended up working in comics as well as traditional publishing as an editor for 15years. Eventually, I got my first book deal. Now, each morning I wake, walk my dog, and start creating.
I write 40 to 60 hours a week (when I’m not touring) and earn a living by crafting stories for young readers. If it comes up at dinner parties, I don’t shy away from questions… until I hear, “You write books for boys? But they don’t read anymore, do they?” Again, my ears steam like train whistles and a cartoon devil and angel pop up on my shoulders, whispering suggestions about how I should (or shouldn’t) drop an Acme anvil on someone’s head.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
