Kevin W. Bates was born in Berkeley, California and, except for a couple year stint in Sydney, Australia and a study abroad program in Japan, was raised there.
In his Martin Luther King Jr. High and Berkeley High School years, Kevin developed a lifelong fascination with science fiction (and, oddly, nuclear weapons) and a tendency to daydream.
He discovered early that among the greatest joys in life is the thrill of losing yourself in a gripping space adventure soaring across the galaxy.
Raised on classic science fiction authors such as Isaac Asimov, Arthur C. Clarke, and Ray Bradbury, Kevin took up writing science fiction to provide the same mind-expanding thrills he enjoyed from those authors and more contemporary ones like Alastair Reynolds, Iain M. Banks, David Brin and Neal Stephenson.
In High School, aside from reading constantly, Kevin ran track as a sprinter running what at the time was called the 220 yard dash and the quarter mile in addition to running relays. After high school Kevin served for two years as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Italy.
In college Kevin Studied English and Italian at Brigham Young University, graduating with a BA in Italian and a minor in English. While an undergraduate, he married the love of his life, Marianne (nee Frost) Bates. After graduation, Kevin studied law at the J. Rueben Clark school of law.
During law school, Kevin clerked at the Central Intelligence Agency in the Intelligence Law Division, but is sworn to secrecy as to his activities there. Eventually, he graduated from law school with honors and was awarded the Order of the Coif. Following graduation, he and his young family (a son and a daughter joined him and his wife while he was an undergraduate) moved to Grand Rapids Michigan where he was a law clerk to the Honorable Albert J. Engel a federal judge for the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.
After the clerkship, the family moved to Dallas where he practiced law at the firm of Jones, Day Revis and Pogue, where another daughter joined the growing family.
After a year and a half, Kevin and his family moved to Sandy Utah where he practiced law at two different firms and another daughter and son joined the family (that makes five children in total for those keeping score at home—three daughters and two sons)..
After thirty long years practicing law, Kevin retired in 2014 and began writing. Kevin enjoys backpacking, traveling, reading, and spending time with his and Marianne’s nine grandchildren.
Kevin is a committed Christian and is devoted to spreading the good news of the Savior’s death and resurrection that benefits all God’s children here and in all the worlds His hands have made.
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