When diagnosed at a young age with a learning disability, Brad Rau's disinterest in reading was effectively reinforced; all that changed, however, when his aunt recommended he read Stephen King's The Shining. Thus began a deep, abiding enthusiasm for the written word. Soon he progressed from King to Kafka and Camus. Enthralled by the power of books, the next step in his literary evolution seemed obvious--to become a writer himself. In sixth grade, Brad took his first stab at writing a novel and he's been honing his craft ever since, earning multiple academic grants and honors along the way. Thirty-ish years after that first attempt, the depth of his story telling is directed by a belief that fiction's "Greatest strength can be it's ability to illuminate truths we may otherwise ignore." Influenced by a diverse set of authors, from Cormac McCarthy to Dave Barry, Jane Austin to Graham Greene, Brad Rau's style is a literary chameleon of noir shading, comedy, suspense and deep, human emotion.