I was born in Clarksburg, West Virginia, and graduated from Washington Irving High School, where I participated in several sports and spent two years working on the school newspaper. Those early experiences sparked a lifelong interest in storytelling and communication.
After attending college locally and working for my father, I embarked on my first entrepreneurial venture by opening The Riverside Health Club with my brother, Matt. We operated the club together for three years. My father, a successful businessman, saw the opportunity as a valuable learning experience and helped me establish the corporation. It became something of a family enterprise, with my sister Cynthia often managing the front desk and my mother handling payroll. Helping people achieve their fitness goals made those years some of the most rewarding of my life.
During that period, I began taking flying lessons and quickly discovered a passion for aviation. That passion led me to Florida, where I enrolled at Florida Institute of Technology in Melbourne. Initially entering the commercial pilot program, I later shifted my focus to aviation studies and ultimately earned both Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees from the university. I also studied aircraft crash investigation at Embry Riddle Aeronautical University.
Like many recent graduates, I faced a difficult job market and struggled to find the right opportunity. At that time, my sister Sylvia called from Honolulu and asked if I could help her with her advertising business and assist with caring for her young daughter, Alana. Working alongside Sylvia proved to be a pivotal experience. She taught me a great deal about advertising, marketing, and professional writing while we developed projects together. It was during those years that I began seriously considering a future as a writer.
After returning to Florida, I decided to pursue writing more seriously. My early efforts were far from perfect, but each project helped me improve. To support myself, I entered restaurant management, which eventually brought me to South Carolina for training. While working in Easley, South Carolina, I met a Clemson University student named Alicia. That meeting changed my life. Alicia and I married, and today we have shared more than three decades together.
A short time later, Sylvia approached me with an idea for a children's television program. I volunteered to write the pilot episode, and she secured sponsorship from Kraft Foods in Hawaii.
When the television project concluded, I returned to South Carolina and entered the transportation industry, managing fleets and overseeing international shipping operations for major corporations. While building my career, I continued writing and combined my aviation background with my passion for storytelling to create the NTSB Mystery Series. There were three books in that series. During this period, I also completed Life's Little Hurdles, a book inspired by many of my experiences growing up.
In 2014, I launched the Rolling Justice Mystery Series, which has become one of my most successful projects. Since then, I have written six books in the series while continuing to develop screenplays and television pilots. One of my NTSB television pilots was optioned and eventually pitched to USA Network.
In 2017, I reunited with my longtime friend John Noland from my Hawaii days. Together, we developed a television pilot and feature film project titled Chinatown Cop, which was later pitched to CBS executives. Throughout my career, I have been fortunate to have numerous screenplays, television pilots, and creative projects pitched or optioned by industry professionals.
In 2016, I transitioned from the transportation industry to become an adjunct university instructor, consultant, and real estate professional. This career shift allowed me to devote more time to writing while continuing to share my business and supply chain expertise with students and clients.
In 2025, I expanded my publishing catalog with the release of Pacific Vice and Dust Storm, part of a new three-book series. I also completed another business book and began converting much of my work into audiobook format, allowing readers to enjoy my stories in new ways.
Today, I own The Clinger Group and co-founded Clinger Real Estate with my wife, Alicia. In 2024, I launched my podcast, Murders, Mysteries, and Conspiracies, where I explore fascinating true crime cases, historical mysteries, unsolved events, and intriguing conspiracies. I also host, Heroes of WWII, Gunfighters of the Old West and Heroes of the American Revolution. These podcasts have become another creative outlet that allows me to share my passion for storytelling with audiences around the world. These are available on Spotify, iTunes and vendors everywhere.
Of all the compliments I have received throughout my writing career, one remains especially meaningful. Shortly before his tragic murder in Hawaii in 2018, my friend John Noland shared words that I have never forgotten:
"While others did nothing, you quietly worked on your craft. One day someone is going to call and want everything you have ever written."
Those words continue to inspire me every day.
Thank you for visiting my website and joining me on this journey. Whether through books, screenplays, podcasts, or future projects, I look forward to sharing many more stories with you.
Glenn P. Clinger III
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