Did Randy move around a lot as a child? Where was his favorite place to live?

Randy writes, "I moved to the Rockwood area (east Portland) when I was four, then east of Gresham, Oregon when I was seven. I loved living in the house east of Gresham, which was 'out in the country,' but only five miles or so from the city."

How did Randy develop a love for reading?

As a boy, Randy enjoyed reading comic books and science fiction, anything that stimulated his imagination. After he became a Christian, his youth pastor gave him a key to his office and said he could read whatever he found on the shelves. Thus began Randy's love for Christian books. He was especially influenced by C. S. Lewis—an influence that continues today. In fact, he says that he's never written a book, fiction or nonfiction, in which he hasn't been influenced by Lewis in some way. In the spring of 2008 he was able to have an extended visit at the home of Douglas Gresham, C. S. Lewis's stepson.

What size family did Randy grow up in?

Randy grew up with one half-brother. He also has four older siblings from his dad's previous marriage, but since Randy was raised in Oregon and they were in Texas, he almost never saw them. He is now in email contact with three of them (one is deceased).

 Randy wasn't raised in a Christian home, but years later both of his parents became believers, though his mother placed her faith in Christ many years before his father did. See the article "My Father's Conversion to Christ."

What were Randy's parents like? Did they encourage him to be a writer?

Randy writes, "My dad grew up in Emboden, Arkansas, and moved to Texas as a teenager to run a pool hall with his older brothers. Later he moved to Oregon and had a grocery store, then became a tavern owner who also supplied amusement machines for other taverns. Our house was the repository for several pool tables, two or three juke boxes, pin-ball machines, standing shuffleboards, foos ball, etc. (My friends liked to hang out at my house mainly for that reason.)

"Dad was strict and very resistant to the gospel, and at first was very resistant to my faith in Christ and was disappointed that I wanted to go to Bible college instead of to a university where I ...

Where was Randy born?

Portland, Oregon.