Tell us a bit about yourself  

I am an American expat living in Australia, before that, I was living in Washington, DC.  In my first career I was a weapon systems and foreign policy analyst specializing in the Middle East and worked in the war gaming unit of a major US defense contractor during the tail end of the Cold War.  In my second career I was government contract law attorney working for a management and consulting services company, the Canadian government, and US defense contractors and was involved in Desert Shield and Desert Storm campaigns.  Between my second and third career moves I sailed a 36’ sailboat from Washington, DC to Australia leaving DC a month after a close encounter with 911.  The trip took two years and spanned 14,000 nautical miles and 22 countries.  My book about the trip The Log of Lone Eagle is on Amazon and has done quite well.  Upon my arrival in Australia, I became a consultant to the Australian government for the government contracting Chapter 15 of the US / Australia Free Trade Agreement.  My third and last career before retirement was here in Australia as Director of Legal Services Asia Pacific for a US software company where we licensed the predictive text linguistic databases used in mobile phone messaging.  I retired five years ago and have a little place on the water in Northern New South Wales where I do a bit of boating and woodworking.

What books and authors apart from FX Holden do you enjoy or recommend?

I read quite a few military / techno thrillers, but FX Holden is certainly at the top of my list.  Others include, James Rosone, Harold Coyle, Don Kieth & George Wallace, and James Cobb all of whom write military / techno series.  All are future war writers that have amazing talents in fusing story lines, military technology, and geopolitical intrigue.

What was the first book you were a beta reader for?

I read FX Holden’s first book, Bering Strait and loved it.  I recall emailing Tim (FX) and became one of his earlier beta readers.  I’ve been part of his growing beta team ever since and have enjoyed every minute.

You have given input on several FX Holden books, what do you enjoy about it?

I enjoy the pace of his books.  They grab you and you simply can’t put them down.  Tim has an amazing ability to make his readers identify, on a human level, with character both friend and foe.  I especially enjoy reading about all the new weapons in the pipeline that Tim brings to life in battle scenes that make your hair stand up.  His geopolitical scene setting could be drawn from today’s headlines.

Are there downsides to being a beta reader?

You do have short windows for getting your comments in, but I enjoy reading the beta version and the final version that goes to print.  It is amazing what I pick up on the second read.  Any downsides?  Not from my perspective.

What book(s) is/are next on your To Be Read pile?

I just finished James Roson’s Palawan Gambit which was great since I had visited Palawan last year.  I can’t wait for Tim’s new book,  Defiant to come out as the preview had some characters from some of his prior books.

Attach a photo of yourself or a photo that you feel captures who you are!

Attached is an image of Lone Eagle in Bora Bora that was taken from the top of the mast of a friend’s boat.  If you look closely, you will see me waving 😊