Rick Yancey  Richard Yancey (born November 4, 1962) is an American author who writes works of suspense, fantasy, and science fiction aimed at young adults. Rick Yancey was born in a Miami suburb, Florida. Yancey wrote his first short story in seventh grade while attending Crystal Lake Junior High School in Florida. After graduating from Lakeland Senior High School, he was accepted to Florida Southern College and majored in Communications. After a year at Florida Southern College, Yancey transferred to Florida State University and ultimately graduated from Roosevelt University with a B.A. in English. After graduation, Yancey planned on attending law school. Ultimately, Yancey decided against law school and began teaching English classes as well as acting and directing in local community theatres. In 1991, Yancey applied for a government job and was hired by the Internal Revenue Service, where he worked as an agent for twelve years. Yancey also spent 10 years of his life in Knoxville, Tennessee, where two of his books are set. While working at the IRS, Yancey wrote screenplays in his spare time. At the suggestion of his wife and collaborator, one of his screenplays became his first professionally published book, "A Burning in Homeland" (Simon and Schuster), published in 2001. With the success of "A Burning in Homeland", Yancey resigned from the IRS in 2004 to concentrate on writing full-time. His memoir, "Confessions of a Tax Collector" (HarperCollins, 2004), chronicles his days working at the IRS. After the release of his memoir, Yancey began work on two series of books—one for adults, and one for children. The "Alfred Kropp" series tells the story of an awkward teenager who saves the world when he comes into possession of King Arthur's famed sword, Excalibur—pursued by the secret cabal of knights who have hidden it for centuries. Published by Bloomsbury Children’s Publishing in the U.S. and the U.K., and in fifteen foreign language editions, the series comprised three books: "The Extraordinary Adventures of Alfred Kropp" (2005), "The Seal of Solomon" (2007), and "The Thirteenth Skull" (2008). His "Highly Effective Detective" books (St. Martin’s Press) are whodunits for adult readers, featuring a charming but barely competent private investigator based in Tennessee. That series consists of four titles: "The Highly Effective Detective" (2006), "The Highly Effective Detective Goes to the Dogs" (2008), "The Highly Effective Detective Plays the Fool" (2010), and "The Highly Effective Detective Crosses the Line" (2011).