A former newspaper reporter, Jon can be relentless in his pursuit of a good a story. He has jumped out of a plane and spent a weekend on a houseboat with a reputed contract killer and his girlfriend -- all to gain the details he needed. Nowadays, he prefers to put his fictional characters in uncomfortable positions. "I believe fiction should not only engage and transport the reader to a different place, it also should expand his or her understanding of the world and provide food for thought," he says.