I live in Florida. As a Vice President of the real estate subsidiary of a Fortune 500 corporation, I traveled widely in the US and abroad. A native of Chicago, I earned a BA in History and Russian Area Studies and a Master of Urban Planning degree from the University of Illinois. (Go Illini!) I’ve been active in politics (I had the stupidity to run and the misfortune to win a -year seat on a County Board of Supervisors) (more hard time than you’d get for armed robbery, car theft, or embezzlement in most states!) and active in numerous civic organizations. I served in the US Army and was a company commander and drug counselor. (The only two places in the country that teach leadership and organizational management are the Boy Scouts and the Army) When I’m not writing, I like to play golf (usually poorly) paint landscapes in oil or acrylics and running 5Ks. (slower every year) . My wife and I have traveled extensively in Germany, Russia, the Caribbean, England, Ireland, Scotland, Poland, Switzerland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Italy, Mexico, Austria, Italy, Croatia, Slovenia, Bosnia, Spain, Portugal, Holland, Egypt, and Israel.