I have always had a passion for books, having been was fortunate enough to grow up in a family with two avid readers, my father and my big sister, who not only set an example but also encouraged me to read every chance they had. When I was very young, I and my best friend, Charlie--a very creative soul--created comic strip "movies" that we'd slide through a shoebox in which we and cut a square hole in the front. We put on shows and charged a nickel for admission. like most kids, I always enjoyed make believe and I sometimes would imagine scenarios that eventually became stories, in my head. Sometimes I would try to pass them off as truth. (It's well known that fiction writers have to be good liars) But I never fooled my father, who would call me out and say, "That sounds like a whopper, son."  While I was fond of telling stories, I didn't think about writing any, or writing in general, until I was fourteen in junior high school, where my 9th grade English teacher, the lovely Miss Murphy commented after reviewing one of my essays, "You seem to have a knack for writing, Thomas. You should write more." When a student hears that kind of affirmation from a teacher, especially one he has a mad crush on, he tends to listen. I still like to write, and have Miss Murphy and many other fine teacher's along the way, to thank.