David Alan EkDavid Ek held a successful and award-winning career with the National Park Service, where he led science and natural resources teams throughout the country-including Death Valley National Park (the setting for much of Lizard People: Death Valley Undeground). His resource management work often tackled complex issues of regional and national scope. David's extensive natural resource-related writings have appeared in dozens of science and management publications-and in countless forms intended for general audiences of all ages.On the literary side, David writes both fiction and nonfiction. Editors for literary journals have found his writing "strong" with "much to admire." His short stories and essays have appeared in Canary, Weber: The Contemporary West, and elsewhere. Pedro's Pickles and the American Dream was his debut novel. He is a member of the Virginia Writers Club and the Pacific Northwest Writers Association. When not sciencing or writing, David has been an active rock and mountain climber, caver, and explorer of the American wilds. A native of Seattle, Washington, he currently lives with his wife, children, cat, and dogs in rural northern Virginia. Read More Read Less