Diagnosed at an early age with a learning disability, Brad Rau's disinterest in all things academic was effectively cemented until, in sixth grade, his aunt recommended he read Stephen King's The Shining. As though a lever had been pulled, his interest in fiction was awoken. Bewitched by the surge of popular horror writing in the 1980's, he began substituting his own picks for assigned school reading, a move that did not endear him to his teachers nor help his grade point average. Through a cleverly curated schedule of art classes and independent study, he managed to graduate high school, earning the "Most Improved Student Award." Beginning his college career at the now defunct Rockport College he studied painting, writing and Eastern Philosophy, eventually earning his Associate of Fine Arts degree. He went on to study philosophy and literature at the University of Maine at Farmington, finally earning his Bachelors Degree from the now defunct BFA program at Vermont College, proving that giving him a degree can have devastating effects on institutions of higher learning. A literary chameleon of noir shading, comedy, suspense and deep, human emotion, Brad Rau writes novels that weave together eclectic elements from across the literary spectrum.