As a teenager, I became fascinated with To Catch a Thief, particularly John Robie. Here was a character, a circus acrobat turned jewel thief, who also fought with the French Resistance. John Robie could climb anything, break into any place, and as portrayed by Cary Grant in the Hitchcock film, he was charismatic. He was also independently wealthy, living on the French Riviera. I mean, who wouldn’t love this guy?

I became obsessed -- I wanted to be like John Robie. I ordered a lockpicking guide from an ad in a tacky magazine, then made burglar tools in shop class. I was on my way -- I practiced breaking into my own house hundreds of times. None of them worked.

I also became obsessed with climbing, and read that pull-ups were a great training exercise. So I began practicing them regularly, eventually getting up to 20 at a time. Much better than my lockpicking.

My obsession was put on hold when I had to start working. I’ve had a diverse background (meaning lots of jobs). I’ve been a lifeguard, toy designer, founder of Italian Ice stores, humor columnist, marketing executive, and most recently, an investigation consultant (a PI). But I’ve never given up on my love for To Catch a Thief. The sequel, To Catch a Spy, is my first novel, and there are more to come.

Today I live in South Carolina with my wife Victoria, and in my spare time, I dream of new adventures for John Robie and Francie Stevens.

By the way, I still practice lockpicking. And I do pull-ups every day.