Let me start by saying I was not excited about reading or writing when I was a kid—this despite my mother suggesting I read a book every time I complained that I was bored. (I wish I took her advice back then. I’d be better at what I’m doing now if I had listened.) But I only did that reading and writing stuff in school when I had to, and never because I wanted to. At that young age, my passion was all-things sports, especially wrestling.
I started wrestling when I was four-years old and the sport remains a part of my life today. Believe it or not, the things I learned from wrestling are the things that help me the most as an author. Wrestling is where I learned about failure and perseverance and working at something over and over and over, just to list a few. (FYI: The over and over and over part is most of my work as a writer—by far!)
After graduating from college and reaching the end of my competitive wrestling career, I entered the next phase in my life. I became an elementary school teacher and high school wrestling coach. In total, I spent six years teaching third and fourth grade. It was my former students who first inspired me as a writer, and the many wonderful days and unexpected twists and turns we shared together that ultimately sparked the idea for my Mr. Terupt series.
After six years in the elementary classroom, my family and I moved to Northfield Mount Hermon, an independent boarding school, where I began teaching high school biology and continued coaching wrestling. That was my life for the next seven years, during which time I was able to get my first and second books published.
Today, I’m fortunate and extremely grateful to be able to say that I’m working as a full-time writer. My books have won numerous awards and have reached classrooms near and far, giving me the opportunity to visit with readers all over the world. I love what I do.
