Michael Hoard grew up in Southern Louisiana where he attended the University of Southwestern Louisiana (Currently University of Louisiana at Lafayette) for two years as an Art Major. A 9 to 5 career in an office was completely forgotten when he got that first summer job working the back deck of a seismic survey boat on the Gulf of Mexico. He has remained in the oilfield and on the Gulf his entire adult life. Now, at 50, he lives in Middletown, NY with his wife Kathy, who he has been married to for 8 happy years, "the best years of my life". He is an avid fisherman who spends hours on the lakes and reservoirs scattered throughout the Hudson Valley searching for that one Walleye or Bass that will be his lifetime trophy. His two daughters complete his life and as he says, "I can die tomorrow a happy man!" A FORSAKEN SOUL, Michael Hoard's debut short story was written as a challenge to himself 15 years ago. One day while reading a book a thought popped into his head, 'I can write a book'. Immediately he picked up a pen and paper and started writing. The manuscript sat in a box in the back of his closet for many years...until 2016, when it was finally published. A second book is in the works, THE MYSTERY OF THE ROUGAROU - A Nick Landry and Billy Boudreaux Adventure. This book has been a joy for Michael to write. It brings his imagination back to the days, as a boy when he explored the swamp lands that surrounded his community.