Ross Malde has a diverse educational and professional background that spans over thirty years. He recently completed his Bachelors Degree from the University of Washington from the School of Interdisciplinary Arts and Science where he focused on a combination of literature, writing, contemporary issues and comparative religion with earlier work in natural sciences and mathematics. His professional history has ranged from management within the aerospace industry, producer for a game software house, to working as a private business consultant. Ross has done extensive research into many spiritual paths and arcane disciplines. This combination has provided him with a rich background of education and human experience to draw from for his stories and articles. 'The Retreat' is his first contribution as a novelist and reflects this diversity. While this series continues to grow, Ross plans on developing historical novels and articles.