Alan Gratz grew up in the Knoxville, Tennessee area. He attended the University of Tennessee, where he got a College Scholars degree with a focus in creative writing and then a Master's degree in English education, after a carefree yet hot childhood. Alan has taught middle schoolers catapult building, written over 6,000 radio ads, and spoken at a Czech university in addition to authoring plays, magazine articles, and a few episodes of A&E's City Confidential. Alan currently resides in the high country of western North Carolina with his wife Wendi and daughter Jo, where he enjoys reading, eating pizza, and, not surprisingly, watching baseball.