My retirement plans were to follow my love of archaeology full time but, as luck would have it,simultaneous to the presentation of the customary gold watch I learned I had a progressive motor neuron disease called Primary Lateral Sclerosis. A disease very much like ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease). This discovery, and the subsequent symptomatic physical changes, altered my life-style dramatically. Restricted now to a more sedate way of life, I decided that if I couldn't actually excavate I would write about it. Since I love a mystery, I pondered the possibility of combining archaeology and suspense. With the encouragement of my wife Peggy I went to work on my first novel--The Margin. It is now in publication and I have dedicated 100% of the proceeds, for the first year it's in production, to the Muscular Dystrophy Association/ALS Division. January 2010 my second novel was released. Many of The Margin's characters play a significant role in The Moriah Ruse. The transition for those protagonist from mystery to international espionage was trouble free since I had dropped subtle hints in The Margin's last chapter that such a thing might occur. Don't misunderstand, The Margin concludes with all questions answered and the mystery solved in a remarkably satisfactory manner and The Moriah Ruse begins as you would expect a completely seperate spy book to do. The first few chapters tie enough information into the dialogue and narrative to satisfy your curiosity about The Margin without every opening that contemporary mystery novel.

Achievements diminish in importance over time, certifications become outdated and awards tarnish and collect dust, in the end serving no particular purpose other than obituary matter.