BIO:

My life has been unique by most standards. I was born on Halloween and delivered by a coroner (Dr David Baxter, Faulker County medical examiner 1968). They nicknamed me Thumper. To this day, most of my family and friends still call me Thumper.

At the age of five, I scored a ten-speed bicycle from my brothers. They couldn't get along and kept fighting over it. My mom gave it to me. I had to climb up on the edge of the front porch to get it started.

My family was quite large and we would cut wood during the winter to help supplement our income. I remember walking through subdivisions at the age of ten, alone, knocking on doors and asking if they would like to buy wood. I was Dad's top salesman. He would give us $5 if we sold a load.

In tenth grade, I lost my father to a horrible accident. He was literally ran over by a ready mix concrete truck.

In eleventh grade, at the age of eighteen, I purchased a new home and formed a rock and roll band. "Next Please" was the name of the band, and we played weekends and made a demo tape. I was offered two contracts, but they weren't quite what I wanted. I still hold the copyrights to several songs I wrote back during that time.

After graduating high school, I became a welder and went to trade school during the day for welding (paid training from my company) and college at night (Electrical).

I designed and built an adjustable concrete insert and patented it (pat #554 8 939 Utility Patent). I solely held full rights to the invention. I obtained a contract with a company named Meadow Steel in Santa Fe, (Tampa) Florida.

After I graduated college, I began to design machine controls. I have made my living doing this and industrial control repairs for the past twenty years. This line of work has allowed me to travel to Italy, Belgium, Holland, France, Canada, and various places all across the United States.

I married the woman of my dreams on January 1, 1991, and we have two daughters. We have been married ever since..

My hobbies include writing, hunting, fishing, riding ATVs, and playing pool (billiards). I enjoy projects with woodwork, steel fabrication, and design work.

Sincerely,

NjbV