Charles A. Shrader was born and raised in Mudfork, a remote section of Tazewell County, Virginia. He is a veteran of the United States Air Force and worked for GTE twenty-four years before leaving to pursue a college degree at the age of forty-eight. Charles graduated with honors from Southwest Virginia Community College, Bluefield College and Radford University where he received his Masters degree. Some of his passions are vegetable gardening, reading, writing, and painting. Charles is a talented artist. He is currently working on his second book and resides in Bluefield, Virginia.