Michael Mehas is a writer and attorney living on California’s Central Coast. His first novel, Stolen Boy, has recently garnered a prestigious IPPY Gold Medal for fiction, the 2007 Book of the Year Award from Books-And-Authors.net, and first place from the Public Safety Writers Association for best novel. Stolen Boy has also been selected as one of two national finalists by the Indie Excellence Awards and Honorable Mention for best fiction by both the New York Book Festival and the Hollywood Book Festival.

Michael attended Pepperdine University in the 80’s and obtained his Juris Doctorate from Pepperdine University School of Law in 1988. The following year he graduated from the Academy of Justice School of Advocacy. He followed this with a stint in the Public Defender’s office and private practice, trying felony criminal matters, including a death penalty case in only his third trial.

In the 1990’s, Michael added family law to his legal passion, working with troubled youth and their families. He also divided his energies as a screenwriter and freelance journalist, his work published internationally. In 2003, he co-founded an international news and feature Internet magazine called The Inquisitor. Later that year he teamed with writer/director Nick Cassavetes as associate producer of Alpha Dog, a major motion picture, starring Justin Timberlake, Bruce Willis, and Sharon Stone.

Michael now speaks publicly and writes about pressing social issues including teen rights and the abolition of the death penalty. He also teaches the Yin and Yang of writing at Ventura college and hosts Transformational Third Thursdays, a workshop and discussion group at Bank of Books, Ventura’s new “literary watering hole.”