Al Past turned to fiction after a life as a husband and father, musician, Naval officer, and professor of English for 30 years. His first book was of music: his arrangements of baroque classics in treble clef duets (Charles Colin Publications). He has also collaborated with author Barry Yelton, providing photographs to accompany Mr. Yelton's lovely poetry in On Wings of Gentle Power (Strider Nolan Media). His first work of fiction, Distant Cousin, is the highly readable and original tale of Ana Darcy, the young woman who returned to Earth after her ancestors had been removed thousands of years before. Readers have enjoyed following her adventures, and her family's adventures, through the years in the four companion volumes to date: Distant Cousin: Repatriation, Distant Cousin: Reincarnation, Distant Cousin: Regeneration, and Distant Cousin: Recirculation. All are available in paperback and budget priced electronic edtions for all types of e-readers.

Distant Cousin has been given a 2007 iUBR "Most Pleasurable Read" award: "Whatever it is that Spielberg has at the movies, Al Past has in his Distant Cousin series. Show me the magic!" http://www.iuniversebookreviews.blogspot.com/