Mark Hanson was born in Salt Lake City, Utah. He received his bachelor's degree in Physics and MBA from the University of Utah. Having been recruited by Watkins-Johnson Company, he and his family moved to Silicon Valley, California, in 1974. There he worked in several management positions, including, for example, managing the development and manufacturing of the Space Shuttle antennas. It was during this time that the extent of Soviet efforts to obtain highly sensitive electronic equipment and components was made public. In 1993 Mark and his family returned to Utah to work in management for a software development company. He helped the company develop its flagship products and also helped guide it through economic turmoil to success. Mark is now retired and lives with his wife in South Jordan, Utah. This is his first novel.