Michael Z. Williamson was born in Birkenhead, England and raised in Liverpool, and Toronto, Canada, before moving to Newark, Ohio. A 22-year veteran of the US Army and US Air Force, he is a state-ranked competitive shooter in combat rifle and combat pistol. His other books include Freehold and The Weapon for Baen, the "Target Terror" series for HarperCollins, (Targets of Opportunity, The Scope of Justice, Confirmed Kill) and The Hero, a collaboration with New York Times best-selling author John Ringo for Baen. He currently lives near Indianapolis with his wife Gail, also a veteran, their two children, and various cats that are not to be trusted.