Stay Downwind

Rick Cooper lives in Central Florida with his wife, Linda, and two poodles, Zoe and Miley Cypress. He finds peace and paradise kayaking the nearby Dora Canal, taking close-up photos of gators and snakes. He grew up in Ohio, and it was through the guidance of Marion Hemphill, his Composition teacher at Indian Lake High School, that he developed his lifelong love of writing. His first suspense novel, Family Reunion (coauthored with Mark Davis under the pseudonym Nicholas Sarazen), was published in 1990 by Pinnacle. In addition to novels and nonfiction books, he has written award-winning poems and short stories. He is a songwriter with songs released on fifteen different albums by various artists. McGuffey Lane, John Schwab, Bobby Ross, J.D. Blackfoot, Mel Besher, Sirens, The Dollyrots, Jeff Allen, Sol Varon, and The Bruise Brothers have recorded his songs. He is a graduate of The Ohio State University, with a major in criminology. An avid runner, he completed thirty-two marathons across the country, including the Boston Marathon two times. He has been a vegan since 2011--for the animals.