I grew up reading Robert A. Heinlein, and like him, I have a degree in Mechanical Engineering. Mine is from MIT though, not Annapolis! One of my primary reasons for attending MIT was that in every Science Fiction book I read MIT was treated, in a way, as the "holy of holies." -) After graduating, I worked in the automotive industry for a while, then returned to school and got a PhD in Biomedical Engineering. I also spent a year running a small cafe (Google: Java Street Cafe.) Finally, after numerous twists and turns, I have published my first piece of fiction, The Nathan Daniels Saga: Part 1.