I was born, raised, and educated in the heart of Appalachia, Southwest Virginia. I somehow earned a degree in Mechanical Engineering from Virginia Tech, the hardest thing I've ever done. Still stumbling through my career, I have done engineering, sales, marketing, and management. Other than ten years in Seattle, Washington, I have lived in Virginia my entire life. I am owner/manager of an industrial condominium in Christiansburg and is co-owner with his wife, Jane, of Pocahontas Press, a publishing firm specializing in regional Appalachian fiction and non-fiction. I enjoy backpacking, motorcycling, bicyling, walking, and juggling. My wife Jane and I have one grown daughter.