Aronsen, Wayne: - Raised in New Jersey, Wayne's parents moved to California under suspicious circumstances. His Scandinavian family history gives him a close familiarity with the Nordic culture and their obsession with secrecy. He graduated from California State University Fullerton with a degree in English, but other than a brief stint as a columnist at a local newspaper, he never pursued a career in his major. Teaching proved fruitless; he lasted two days as a substitute teacher in a public high school. After a six month European trip, he returned to California and bounced from one service job to another. He now entertains his young grandchildren with stories of how he was fired five times--that he can recall. To support his young family, he did the next best thing: he started his own business, which served him well until he retired. But he never lost his passion for writing. His filing cabinet is filled with poems, short stories, plays, essays, and novels he'd written over the years. He joined a group of fellow artists (writers, a photographer, sculptors, and a musician) who met regularly to show their work and keep each other on task. Wayne has self-published three books. He pursues outlets for his fictional work in the genres of literary mystery, poetry, and historical fantasy in short story and novel formats. He is an avid golfer and appreciates fine wines. He and his wife often tour wineries when they travel. He enjoys giving public readings of his own work, and that of others.