Fred Snyder

I grew up in the historic Minnesota town of Excelsior, the youngest of eight children. I now reside in Mankato, MN. I began my college years in Rockford, IL and eventually graduated from Mankato State (MN) University with a BS in Industrial/Organizational Psychology. I then earned a MS Degree in Counselor Education from Emporia State (KS) University

My life experiences include dealing blackjack, directing collegiate campus events (I once charged Levar Burton's cell phone in my car!), overseeing a national service program (I once got stuck in an overloaded elevator at the OEOB in Washington DC) and working in the non-profit thrift industry.

My hobbies include cooking, biking, bowling, puttering in my flower gardens and reading. My favorite books to read? In no particular order, Tom Clancy's 'Jack Ryan' books, To Kill a Mockingbird, World War Z, Harry Potter, James Herriot's stories and a lot of historical non-fiction.

Honestly, I spent most of my college and professional years doing nothing but technical/educational writing. I never imagined writing fiction. But then, over the last ten years or so, thoughts about the challenges and divisions within our country kept building up in my head and one day at work I stumbled upon a book called "You Can Write a Novel." I saw that as a sign and it was the best .27 (twenty seven cents) I've maybe ever spent. From there, I started writing "American Revolution 2056" and it's been an incredible learning experience for me.