I grew up in Fremont, California, with a love of sports and a commitment to school. I earned an academic scholarship to UCLA and later attended UC San Diego where I graduated with a degree in journalism and communications. Before my career as a writer, I worked an assortment of jobs, such as baby furniture stock boy, fry cook, car wash attendant, waiter, residential appraiser, stadium announcer, and disc jockey.

I got my first “professional” job while still in college. I wrote sports articles for nearly a decade for the San Diego Union-Tribune. It was exciting to travel to stadiums and ballparks around the country and go on the field and in the locker room to meet the stars. I've been watching the action up close ever since. The greatest basketball players, football players, and boxers have all dripped sweat on me.

I wrote my first young adult book about baseball pitcher Jim Abbott, whom I had known from my work at the newspaper. My second biography was about Olympic gold medal skater Kristi Yamaguchi, who grew up down the street from me in Fremont. After I wrote a four-book series on exercise in which I also took the photographs, I became an author full time. I have written more than 200 books for 11 major publishing companies.

I raised two boys, Taylor and Bailey, with the help of my now-ex-wife Nancy, in Napa, El Dorado Hills, and Folsom. I live in Folsom as well as the Sierra Nevada where I work as a Licensed Timber Operator and builder for my company Savage Land Management, LLC. I have flown single-engine airplanes over mountains, deserts, and oceans, practiced karate for many years, climbed Mt. Whitney, and competed in triathlons.

In addition to writing books, I have been invited to speak at more than 1,000 schools around the country and internationally. Visiting schools to motivate students truly reflects my priorities and values.