Richard spent decades as CEO, president, managing director of several national real estate firms — proof that a man who spends his days closing deals can still spend his nights closing chapters. He recommends against doing both in the same meeting.

Most authors write about thrills. Richard just lives them and takes notes later. He's a kitesurfer, skydiver, triathlete, expert skier, scuba diver, and a golfer of, let's say, heroic unpredictability. He has jumped out of planes, off bridges, off cliffs, and off cranes with rubber bands around his ankles — and on the days he's feeling minimalist, he skips the parachute and the bungee altogether and just free-falls a hundred feet into water, because apparently regular vacations stopped doing it for him years ago.

All of that adrenaline goes somewhere, and it turns out that somewhere is the page. Richard funnels the rush into his characters, but the heart comes from somewhere quieter: his wife, Virginia, and the lengths he'd go to protect her. That's the real engine under the hood — no thrills for the writer, no thrills for the reader; no tears for the writer, no tears for the reader. He's also written a number of screenplays, because apparently one medium wasn't enough to keep up with him.

Like most of his protagonists, Richard does his best work after dark, when the distractions go to sleep and his imagination clocks in. He runs his businesses and does his research by day, writes from 8 pm to midnight, and is up again at 6:30 to work out and do it all over again — which either makes him extremely disciplined or mildly allergic to rest. Jury's still out.

He's also a musician, writing and performing for guitar and piano, with film scores to his name and music that's turned up on MTV, VH1, and a scattering of commercials. He's been married 39 years (together for 48) to his childhood sweetheart, Virginia — still, by his own account, the best plot twist of his life.

Richard's debut, The Thieves of Heaven (2006), became an international bestseller in 28 languages across 33 countries and was optioned by 20th Century Fox. The Thieves of Faith followed in 2007 to more of the same. Then came The Thieves of Darkness and The 13th Hour — the latter optioned so many times it's practically got frequent-flyer status, and it's only a matter of time before it lands in theaters for good.

And just wait for what comes next.

Max Blackstone steals things he shouldn't. Penelope Charm, otherwise known as Peel, picks locks she has no business picking. Somewhere between the two of them is a fortune, a mystery, a world to save and — much to their mutual horror — feelings. The Blackstone & Charm Chronicles are coming, and Richard promises they were even more fun to write than his last 14,000 foot free fall.

To learn more about Richard and his writing process, check out the FAQ, the photos, and the (famously chaotic) desk. And find him out there in the wilds of social media.