Like so many of you, I am a man obsessed with stories.
From the earliest parts of my youth that I can remember, I yearned for imaginary worlds. I created stories and lived them out in my backyard, I found myself engrossed in fantasy novels, mystery novels, roleplaying games, television shows, history, and anything else I could get my hands on.
When I was eighteen, and I first attempted creative writing, I knew it was something I was born for, as dramatic as that sounds. It just felt right. I started writing my first novel that year, and it's still howling under the bed, so to speak, in dire need of revision.
My first real success stemming from my writing ability began when I placed 7th in the 76th annual Writer's Digest Competition for my short story entitled Serenaded. Since then, I've published more than 50 articles as a freelance writer, and I released HOOD as my debut novel of the American Rebirth Series in January 2016. The success it has had since then is something of a dream.
As for the rest of my life, I've been a professional poker player for many years. I've backpacked Europe, I've biked alone across the northeastern US by myself when I was eighteen. I grew up living on a boat half the year every year. I've hung out in grimy side streets and in sprawling mansions and empty parking lots. I've read a lot of books, played a lot of video games, I've grown up and I've stayed young and I'm still searching for something. I think we all are.
-Evan Pickering