Alex grew up in Walnut Ridge, Arkansas. He is a graduate of Arkansas State University and Reformed Theological Seminary in Charlotte. Before moving to Charlotte, Alex taught American Literature on the Qualla Boundary Cherokee Reservation. He enjoys espionage thrillers, jazz, soccer, baseball, and stock-car racing. Alex and his wife Brittany live in the Starmount neighborhood with their four young children and a miniature black panther named Tennessee Tuxedo.