I've been writing fiction since my teens. Until 2008, I'd done mostly short fiction, but I took the plunge with a mystery series about a DC-based PI and a western/history series about the Buffalo Soldiers of the Ninth US Cavalry on the frontier after the Civil War. In addition, I've done other fiction and nonfiction, which is available on Amazon and other book sites, in paperback and e-book format. I spent 20 years in the US army, and 30 years as a US diplomat, retiring in 2012. I now write full time, and do public speaking, lecturing, and the occasional consulting contract. In addition to my blogspot blog, I do a writing blog at http://charlieray45.wordpress.com/.