A Southern California native with a passion for history and construction, D.J. graduated from Rensselaer Polytechnic with a master's in engineering in the twilight of perceived American innocence. Leaving the Air Force after the Vietnam War, D.J. returned to California and built a career as a licensed civil and mechanical engineer responsible for designing and overseeing construction of over $100 million dollars' worth of water and wastewater infrastructure in California and Arizona. A death threat from an insurance company in the aftermath of the Northridge Earthquake overturned his world and launched him in a new direction. Figuring novels are a sneaky way to write about the truth, and captivated by L.A.'s master storytellers, the likes of Raymond Chandler, James M. Cain, James Ellroy, and Ray Bradbury, he began writing fiction. . History, particularly California history, is D.J.'s hobby. HeI writes what he calls Red Car Noir, tales of the dark side of the American dream typically set around Los Angeles in the early 1900's, when a veneer of front-page optimism whitewashed the corruption that shattered lives on boulevards of broken dreams. Married for over 40 years with one grown son, two grandsons and a golden retriever, Sunny, D.J. and his wife divide their time between Irvine and La Cañada, California, and when not writing, he can often be found exploring local history and cooking. He is an accomplished amateur chef who sometimes even shares his recipes!
