RC Erickson

RC Erickson grew up in the small town of Lindstrom, Minnesota.

As a child, young adult mysteries were a huge influence on RC. The Hardy Boys and Alfred Hitchcock and the Three Investigators were two of his favorites as well as mystery shows and movies. Growing up in a small town before Internet, cable, computers and video games, RC was always finding an adventure to delve into. Dilapidated houses, creepy woods, cornfields, even an abandoned slaughterhouse deep in the woods. In fact, as a young boy, RC even had the courage to investigate the slaughterhouse in the dead of night alone with only a flashlight...although he didn't stay long and pretty much ran home.

We asked RC about his passion for writing and mysteries.

"I love writing young adult mysteries. It brings me back to my youth and the excitement of reading a mystery, whether it was The Hardy Boys or The Three Investigators. It's very important to me that the stories have the old fashioned, but updated characteristics of the mysteries that I grew up with, like secret rooms and passageways, creepy woods, cemeteries, and thunderstorms to name a few. I do have to say, although some people might laugh, but The Hardy Boys actually cured me of my fear of thunderstorms. It's true. I remember it like it was yesterday. I was young and it was late at night. I was sitting up scared in my bed. Thunder and lightning were almost constant, but then it hit me...The Hardy Boys aren't afraid of thunderstorms. In fact, it made the mysteries more exciting. My fear was gone in a second and I've loved thunderstorms ever since."

"As far as writing goes, there's a point in almost every book where the story is going in a different direction than what I outlined. Then I have to decide if I should keep going or find a way to bring it back to the outline. If I keep going, it's kind of scary, but yet exciting and exhilarating. What's going to happen next? How do I tie everything together? I have to admit that I've had plenty of sleepless nights. I love writing the stories, but you know what's better? It's when I hear from the fans, or better yet, meet them. When I see the excitement and smiles on the kids' faces, it makes all the hard work worth it."