Born in the mid-1950s in Jackson, MS, as the only child of Bar and Evelyn North, Darden North was later raised in the Mississippi Delta. Having now completed twenty-two years in active medical practice as an obstetrician/gynecologist, he often fields the question "How did you ever get interested in writing fiction?" or "How in the world do you have time to be a full-time doctor and write books?"

Perhaps his taste for the arts was seeded in the Mississippi Delta, just as were the cotton and soybeans. While attending seventh grade and against his initial argument, North starred -- upon his mother's encouragement -- in the speaking and singing role of Louis in The King and I, produced by the Cleveland (MS) Little Theater. 

While continuing to be a straight A student and looking toward a career in the sciences, North's desire to remain versatile continued as he played three different musical instruments in the public school marching and concert bands. In addition, some early afternoons were spent taking piano lessons; but alas, he can no longer play any of the four instruments well. Furthermore, after the family piano was recently converted to a computerized-player version, his fledging career as a musician was finally buried.  

Without question, Darden North's interest in writing and publishing sparked while serving as editor-in-chief of the award-winning 1978 OLE MISS, the University of Mississippi student yearbook (At which time he began dating his future wife Sally Fortenberry, who was on the yearbook staff herself and served as editor the following year) and as serving as editor of the 1982 MEDIC, the University of Mississippi Medical Center student yearbook -- both published in hardcover. The fact that both his wife and mother have been English teachers could not have hurt his writing and publishing concerns as well. 

After graduating magna cum laude from the University of Mississippi in 1978 with a BA in zoology and minors in both English and chemistry and induction into The Hall of Fame, he finished medical school and obstetrics/gynecology specialty training at the University of Mississippi Medical Center in 1982 and 1986, respectively, where he was a member of Alpha Omega Alpha honorary society.

He and his wife Sally married in 1979 and have remained in Jackson since. After serving as chief-of-staff at two local hospitals, he remains active in the American Medical Association, the Mississippi State Medical Association, and the South Central Obstetrical and Gynecological Society while maintaining a full-time ob/gyn medical and surgical practice. In July 2008 North was inducted into the Sons of the American Revolution, District of Columbia chapter.

Darden and Sally have two young adult children as well as two dogs and a grand dog. North has tried his hand at both golf and tennis but now is occasionally spotted with a croquet mallet and garden shovel -- a laptop computer having usurped most of his leisure time. 

Darden North has written and published three novels, House Call (hardcover 2005, paperback 2007), Points of Origin (hardcover 2006), and Fresh Frozen (hardcover 2008). Points of Origin was recognized in Southern Fiction in the 2007 Independent Publishers Book Awards and House Call was a Mystery/Suspense Finalist in the 2008 New Generation Indie Book Awards. Both works were nominated in Fiction by the Southern Independent Book Association and the Mississippi Institute for Arts and Letters. Book trailer for FRESH FROZEN http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I2ECqwiwsYQ