After I'd worked in business for almost twenty years, I decided to give it all up to write a young-adult novel. In retrospect it seems crazy, but it didn't come out of nowhere: People had often told me that I was a great storyteller. I'd entertained colleagues with vivid stories, and they'd appreciated the breaks from the daily grind. When I realized that I enjoyed the storytelling more than the work itself, I decided to take my colleagues' advice and explore storytelling as a new career. With my wife's encouragement, I set out to write a mystery. I wanted to create a concise, action-packed ta...