Where to begin. How about college? I got my B.S. in Biochemistry from Oklahoma State University with the intention of med school, specifically Ophthalmology. That didn’t quite pan out as I was really tired of school at the time. I told myself what a lot of people tell themselves, ‘I can always go back’. Yeah…I ended up moving to Wichita, KS where I met my lovely wife Holly and eventually working for a local chemical company. I bounced around through various jobs at the plant before turning my IT hobby into a career. I had an aptitude for computers and back in the 90’s you didn’t need to have a specific degree in computer science as much as you do now to work in that field. And so it began. I have turned that hobby into a 30+ yr. career. Kind of fortunate really.

When I’m not writing you can find me hanging out with Holly watching some new drama or crime show, cheering on all of my alma mater’s various sports teams, gaming on the PC and PS5, and of course reading. I’m what you might call a voracious reader. I give a lot of credit to my parents and grandparents who encouraged my reading enthusiasm throughout my youth. Getting a new Hardy Boy’s book, Stephen King novel or anything SciFi/Fantasy related was always a treat.

Acknowledgements:

• Holly - My ever supportive wife, OCD editor and non-SciFi/Fantasy beta reader (she’s more of a true crime girl).

• P.J. Hoover (Tricia) - For editing, coaching and remedial author training. She was a patient, yet tough editor, who pushed me to become more self aware in my writing and become my own most critical analyst. You can find her on Reedsy or her Homepage, for all of her own published works and activities.

• Betty Martinez - For cover design and other promotional images. Working with Betty made the process of book design, that I had been agonizing over, much more painless than I would have ever thought possible. You can find her on Reedsy for a complete list of her accomplishments and other works.

• Judith Bareham - Judith did a fabulous job narrating my book, bringing the scenes, and characters to life. Her professionalism, and attention to detail made the final production something I am extremely proud of. And to top it all off she was an absolute joy to work with.

• Richard McAroy - A life long friend from high school, Richard was instrumental (along with Holly) in guiding me through many of my scenes, making them more descriptive and poignant. His eye for detail and pointing out certain areas that were lacking, was extremely valuable.

• Rachel Garza - A wonderful and thoughtful beta reader who challenged me on several concepts throughout the book. She is a truly generous friend. Catch up with her at her charity organization, Care For Caregivers.

• Renoir - I would also be remiss if I didn’t also give credit to my faithful reading companion and stern taskmaster/lap cat, Renoir. He will also respond to Ren or The Ren’ster and has become my second editor of choice.

Hope you enjoy the books. Feel free to drop me a note at Doug@daputman.com