Curt Riess was born and raised in New York State. He rotates his residence between the East Coast and the Midwest. In addition to other degrees, Curt holds a BS in Journalism. Having put his passion for writing on hold for many years while growing a niche food processing business and selling it to a private equity group, Curt started his second career as a novelist. He writes non-fiction and fiction, often sharing personal experiences from his lifetime not just for the readers' enjoyment and interest, but in hopes of his novels being passed along to people who may benefit from hearing some of his personal experiences in life. Curt and his wife have a history of helping disadvantaged people on three continents. He refers to his retirement, philanthropic work, and writing his novels as a permanent vacation.