Anthony J. Melchiorri grew up in a central Illinois town called Normal. Since then, he has done his best to venture beyond the normal. He has eaten tarantulas in Cambodia, hiked an erupting volcano in Guatemala, explored abandoned KGB prisons in Estonia, and trekked Ugandan jungles to photograph mountain gorillas. His travels and his career in bioengineering inspire many of his stories. Currently, he calls Colorado home with his wife and an untamable, growing collection of books.