Rodman Philbrick, a screenwriter as well as a novelist, started his career as an author of adult thrillers before shifting his interest to young-adult fiction. Gaining national accolades for his debut novel for teen readers, Freak the Mighty, Philbrick has gone on to lead a double life, continuing to pen adult mysteries while also adding to the body of fiction available to younger readers, sometimes in collaboration with his wife, journalist and author Lynn Harnett. Among Philbrick's novels for teens are The Fire Pony and Max the Mighty, while his works for adults include such works as Brothers and Sinners, winner of the Private Eye Writers of America's best novel award in 1993.

Born in Boston, Massachusetts, Philbrick grew up close to the New England coast, where one of his hobbies, fishing, is a prominent regional industry. Asked when he started his career as a writer, Philbrick explained to...