I am the son of a coal-miner's son, who escaped a life in the dark Appalachian mines by joining the U.S. military. Like most military-families, we moved around a bit. Eventually we settled in a small Virginia town called Hopewell, noted for its myriad chemical factories. After high school, having no desire to work in those factories, I choose to join the Air Force, which allowed me to see much of the world and do things most men have only dreamed about doing. Thirty-two years later, after retiring from active duty, they paid me handsomely to be a contractor helping the Air Force reorganize their strategic forces for maximum effectiveness. Eventually I chose to leave those comfortable paychecks lest my life pass me by before I could write my books.
