Straight Ahead, In the Dark

S. M. Bailey was born in 1978 in Lewiston, New York. His father Richard, born in 1940, was a plant supervisor at the city sanitation facility in Niagara Falls. His mother Sandrea (1948-1983), was a secretary at a large corporation that made abrasives for industrial applications. From a young age, he liked to write short stories about his family and favorite book characters. His love of writing came from authors such as Stephen King and John Saul. Later, his influences expanded to the likes of J. D. Salinger, Jack Karouac, and Dennis Lehane. S. M. Bailey is a musician and is a self-proclaimed music snob who played keyboards and sang in various bands between 1997 and 2010 at venues throughout western New York. In 2014, he earned his Associate Degree in Mechanical Engineering from Guilford Technical Community College in Jamestown, North Carolina. In the past he has worked in construction, customer service and garage door installation. When he is not writing, he is working in Quality Assurance as an Engineering Technician. S. M. Bailey is an avid fan of the Baltimore Orioles, Denver Broncos, and Toronto Maple Leafs. He lives in Mebane, North Carolina with his wife Sarah, their son Shane, and their daughter Lucy.