Born and raised in Houston, Texas, Michael Shou-Yung Shum eventually found himself dealing poker in a small casino in Lake Stevens, Washington. Two doctorates bookend this strange turn of events: the first in Psychology from Northwestern, and the second in English from the University of Tennessee. Along the way, Michael spent a dozen years in Chicago, touring the country as a rave DJ. He currently resides in Atlanta, Georgia, with Jaclyn Watterson and three cats. Queen of Spades is his first novel.