Michael Grant (author, born 1954)

His writing influences include Stephen King, Bill Bryson, Patrick O'Brien, J. R. R. Tolkien, Dan Simmons, and Raymond Chandler[5][unreliable source] Grant was raised in a military family, attending ten schools in five states as well as three schools in France.

He became a writer in part because "it was one of the few jobs that wouldn't tie him down to a specific location.

"[6] Grant has described growing up poor, in trailer parks, and dropping out of school at age 15.

He then got a job at Toys R Us, with a fake ID he obtained by signing up for the draft (during the Vietnam War).

[7] Grant lives in California with his wife, Katherine Applegate, and their two children, and their many pets.