Alan Markham holds an MFA in Creative Writing for Children and Young Adults from Hamline University. For several years he was a special education teacher, during which time he taught kindergarten through twelfth grade. He was an elementary school librarian and is currently a high school librarian. Martial arts have had a great influence on his writing. He studied karate in college, and while living in Taiwan, he became acquainted with kung fu. After he got married, he and his three young children studied karate together at a local dojo. His oldest child became an assistant instructor to the dojo sensei.