The author enjoys a walk in the foothills of the Tatra Mountains near Poprad, Slovakia while serving on the support team for The Way Of The Wolf expedition.

Alan E. Sparks is (or has been) an engineer, writer, actor, and teacher. He earned a BS degree in Engineering Physics from the University of Maine and an MS degree in Electrical Engineering from Stanford University. Alan has also completed post-secondary courses in philosophy, sociology, psychology, drawing, painting, acting, exercise physiology, film making, and writing. He was employed for over twenty years as a software engineer developing new technologies in the telecommunications industry. An avid walker, hiker, backcountry skier, and animal tracker, Alan has lived, worked, and trekked extensively in the wilds of Central and Eastern Europe. He is a voracious reader and enjoys studying the natural and cultural histories of the places he visits. To supplement his indoor studies, he has completed courses in mountaineering with the Colorado Mountain Club, mountain ski touring/expedition leadership with the National Outdoor Leadership School, and winter ecology/animal tracking with renowned animal tracker Dr. James Halfpenny of A Naturalist’s World

Alan currently divides his time between Krakow, Poland; Boulder, Colorado; and Portland, Maine. He continues to write (working on the sequel to Dreaming of Wolves about The Way Of The Wolf expedition) and teaches English (in Poland), designs websites, and occasionally seizes an opportunity to perform as an actor.