I’ve published several books outside the technical domain of my earlier professional career. They fall into several genres, reflecting my range of interests.
Fiction
The Hero of Gucci Gulch: A Capitol Hill Mystery. Amazon, 2014. Paperback and Kindle editions.
A public interest lobbyist pursuing legislation to combat the threat of climate change finds murder and mayhem among opponents to his policy goals. When an eager young colleague is murdered, the protagonist begins his own investigation, only to encounter threats to his own security en route to solving the crime.
The Miasma Murders: A Capitol Hill Mystery. Amazon, 2025. Paperback and Kindle editions. Also available from other publishers.
A well-meaning but fumbling amateur sleuth with a penchant for trouble discovers the mutilated body of a Washington Post reporter. Public interest lobbyist working Capitol Hill by day, he and the reporter had been researching voter suppression issues together. Could their investigation have touched a sensitive nerve that led to the murder? That seems unlikely, and another, deeper motive must be afoot. Determined to find the killer and the reason behind the murder, he teams with another Post reporter to probe both the policy issues and the murder. Together, they unravel a skein of corruption and murderous intrigue leading to the highest levels of government.
But the going is tough. Their battle against voter suppression gains little ground in conservative-dominated Washington. And their search for the killer provokes even more bizarre murders that threaten both the press and ultimately their own lives. While the police also pursue the killer, they’re consistently a step or two behind the intrepid sleuths, whose insight and dedication lead them through a series of surprising turns that point to even deeper plots to rain destruction on Washington itself.
Photography
Being Elephant: How It Feels to Be a Jumbo. Amazon, 2021. Paperback.
A poetic picture book inspired by the majesty of the world’s largest land mammals, the elephants, this collection of whimsical doggerel will delight children of all ages, from one to ninety-nine. Illustrated with beautiful color photographs of African elephants in their natural surroundings, the poem weaves an intriguing tale of what it’s like to live the free life of a jumbo in the remaining unspoiled land of their birth. The result is a feast for the eyes and a treat for the imagination.
Creative Composition for Landscape Photography: A Visual Guide to Improving Your Photographs. Amazon, 2017. Paperback and Kindle editions.
A comprehensive guide to photographic composition written with the beginning photographer in mind. Richly illustrated with the author’s photographs that supplement a non-technical text.
Metes & Bounds: Virginia’s Walls and Fences in Photographs. Amazon and Barnes & Noble, 2025. Paperback and hard cover editions.
More than 125 photographs of Virginia’s fences—its iconic stone walls as well as board and rail and wire barriers—made in diverse scenic settings in each of the four seasons. Each photograph is thoughtfully paired with a poem or quotation that enhances its visual mood.
Shooting Iron Horses: Photographing Your Model Railroad. With Jeffrey Fleisher. Amazon, 2020. Paperback.
This is a guide for model railroaders and other miniature hobbyists who are seeking ways to improve the quality and variety of their photos and videos. It addresses the whole scope of model photography, from gear to lighting to photographic. It provides solid guidance on focus stacking techniques to obtain maximum sharpness throughout a scene and on making videos of moving trains.
Self Development
On Living Well: Reflections on Creating a Good Life. Amazon, 2021. Paperback
To live well—to have a good life—is a goal most of us seek. But what does it mean to have a good life? Is it, as is often believed, a matter of sating desires, amassing possessions and riches, or seeking personal enjoyment? Or is it about serving higher goals and reaching beyond pedestrian pleasures to contribute to the society of which we are all a part?
Drawing on the observations of wise observers across the ages, this volume argues that to live well means pursuing higher purposes, goals larger than personal satisfaction, and values that can give our lives meaning more lasting than simple pleasures.
Achieving a good life is not something that simply happens. Instead, like all worthwhile things, a good life must be constructed deliberately. Its building blocks are many. As this volume shows, much valuable advice about creating a good life can be gleaned from the writings of wise persons from the past. Drawing on a wide range of traditions, the advice collected herein constitutes a valuable set of guideposts to inform a journey to make one’s life a good life.
Woodworking
Choosing and Using Handplanes: All You Need to Know to Get Started Planing by Hand. Amazon, 2017. Paperback.
As the title suggests, this is an A to Z introduction to handplanes for woodworking that describes the range of types, how they are constructed and used, and how to care for them. It was written as a supplement for the materials I can hand out in my woodworking classes, but it has proven popular as a guide for woodworkers wanting to get away from dusty, noisy and dangerous power tools.