With over three decades of writing experience, Derek stays busy on many projects. Over the years, he’s published both fiction and non-fiction in national and international publications. One project involved writing a mystery story and designing an accompanying puzzle with clues and red herrings for a publisher in England. Three of his novels, MAYAN MOON, TWICE IN A BLUE MOON, and MOON RIDGE are now available from James Kay Publishing.      Major influences include Alistair MacLean, Clive Cussler, Rex Stout, Ellery Queen, the Twilight Zone, and the Doc Savage pulp series by Kenneth Robeson.

2000 GVSU Short Screenplay Competition - Grand Prize
Austin Film Festival - Second Round
Southwest Writer's Conference – Screenplay Finalist (with Nancy Reno)
The Writer's Network - Honorable Mention
Guest Speaker - 2001 Tulsa Writers Conference
Second Prize - 2001 Cape Fear Crime Festival Fiction Contest
Third Place - East Lansing Film Festival
Nominated for Best Comedic Short - International Festival of Cinema and Technology – Los Angeles, CA
Finalist – 2004 Oklahoma Film Institute Screenplay Competition
Award Winning Public Speaker