Q: Let me start with asking you to tell us a little bit about yourself.
A: I was born and raised in Southern California, and I have two bachelor’s degrees—one from UC Irvine and one from Cal State Long Beach. I worked as a police officer for the city of Long Beach for a total of about 22 years, 16 in uniform and 6 in a noncareer position.

Q: When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?
A: I’ve always