Dan pumped gas for nine years to put himself through college. He spent his days thinking about his story and taking notes on his phone. On his off days, he'd write from sun up to sun down, only stopping to eat. Now, at only 27 years old, he's had three novels published, two more are under contract, and he's the winner of the International Thriller Writers Award for best Young Adult book. We would say all that gas pumping has paid off.