After a career as a teacher and principal of mainly small rural schools, Ross Richdale lives in the small university town of Palmerston North in the North Island of New Zealand. There he writes contemporary novels and science fiction. He is married with three adult children and six grandchildren. His interest in current events and international incidents serve as a backdrop for many of his novels. Ordinary people, rather than the super rich or super powerful, are the main characters in his stories. His plots reflect his interest in the rural lifestyle as well as the cross section of personalities he's met as a teacher.