Steve Alten grew up in Philadelphia, earning his Bachelor's Degree in Physical Education at Penn State University, a Master's Degree in Sports Medicine from the University of Delaware, and a Doctorate of Education at Temple University. His previous nine novels have all become bestsellers, with millions of copies sold worldwide. As an author, Steve has two goals. First, to continue to work hard to become a better storyteller and create exciting page turning thrillers. Second, to remain accessible to his readers. Steve reads and answers all e-mails, uses the names and descriptions of his loyal fans as characters in his novels, and even hires readers as editors, depending on their particular expertise. Steve has also founded and oversees Adopt-An-Author, a nationwide non-profit program designed to encourage students to read. With an unparalleled success rate, he now spends half of his workweek working with high school teachers and teens.