When he was in the third grade at East Alton Elementary School, East Alton, IL, Michael Ringering selected Miriam E. Mason’s Broomtail for a class-assigned book report, and from that moment on, set his sights on writing short stories and other works of fiction. Michael graduated from East Alton-Wood River High School in 1984, and in 1989 earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Murray State University. Following a 14-year career working in media relations and communications in Major League Baseball, he entered the healthcare industry as a specialty practice administrator. He resides in Southern Illinois.