The Rundown
Husband. Daddy. Friend. Laughs and enjoys when others laugh with him. Can't sleep without first reading. Can become "mildly" cross when dealing with bad drivers. Loves steak. Loves post-punk bands, mainly British. Travels to Europe as often as possible. Can't resist a great pilsner. (Ex)Skydiver with scars. SCUBA diver. (Ex)Motorcyclist. Likes to be scared. Speaks Spanish and German...at toddler level (depending on bier/cerveza intake.) Has strong beliefs and respects the beliefs of others.
The Full Story
The youngest of five children, Chuck’s initial love of fiction was borne out of a lack of money coupled with an overactive childhood imagination. On Sunday afternoons during his childhood, Chuck’s parents would take the entire family to the public library—it was pleasurable and, best of all, free. He credits The Shining, by Stephen King, as being the first novel he ever read.
Following high school, Chuck joined the Army after finding little inspiration (or money) for college. He was stationed stateside at Fort Sill and as a paratrooper at Fort Bragg; but it was Chuck’s two-and-a-half years stationed in Germany that forged many of the memories that fuel his interest today.
Following his honorable discharge from the Army, Chuck endured more schooling before embarking on a career in advertising. In 2001 he co-founded B2B Media, Inc., a company that would go on to be named the second fastest-growing company in South Carolina.
While his career was progressing nicely, an active skydiver, Chuck suffered an accident while BASE jumping from the New River Gorge Bridge in West Virginia. Although he’s since recovered, the accident took away his ability to compete in numerous sports. It was the accident, and his resulting physical limitations, that would later become the seed for his need to write.
As his career churned on, Chuck married his wife in 2003. Fulfilled personally and professionally, something began to tug at his mind. Before his accident he’d been able to satisfy his inner desires, first with the adrenaline of a soldier’s life, and later as a risk-taking skydiver. When he could no longer be either, he realized something was missing.
Searching for an answer, in 2005 and at the behest of one of his closest friends, Chuck began to write. Claiming he couldn’t write a decent sentence at the time, he started by penning his own experiences. After moving on to short stories for a period, he eventually began to write novel-length stories in earnest. Over time he learned to blend flawed characters with extraordinary situations, creating a hybrid of the classic spy/suspense novel. Chuck’s passion for travel—especially in Europe—helps lend genuine background and texture to his writing.
Since his first book appeared in 2012, Solipsist Films have optioned The Gage Hartline series. To The Lions, the second book in the series, has been adapted and is currently in development. Additionally, several of Chuck's books have been translated into foreign languages. He's currently able to turn out a new book every 6-9 months.
Chuck lives in South Carolina with his wife and two children.