I grew up on the SW side of Chicago and then lived in nearby suburbs and stayed out of serious trouble, thanks to my strict-but-kind mom who fought the odds of the neighborhood, but also because I had some top-ranking relatives on the CPD.

    I worked a lot of jobs, including selling insurance in the "inner city," where I had a loaded gun pointed at my head twice (by undercover cops, not residents) but didn't get shot, and learned to look out for roving packs of feral dogs, and to get out of the hood early before the gangbangers woke up. I also remember gratefully the many good people there who checked the windows first so I didn't get robbed and/or beaten when I left the building.

    I then joined my new and improved family in owning and running the 2nd largest private campground in SE Wisconsin (at the time and may still be).

    I live in Wisconsin with my wife and two dogs and a son close by, and am still a Bears fan, which is a very hard thing to be right now, especially up here. I travel frequently to Chicago for "research" on the next Zak and Freddy caper, which usually involves beer, Italian beefs, and White Castles after driving around some bad neighborhoods, usually with Mike da' Cop or John the Marine.

    That's for the "Mystery, Murder, & Martinis" series--definitely adult reading; check out the descriptions, pal.

    As for my "Scoop Jackson" books, these are suitable for the entire family--Adventures In Camping came from 25 years of laughing with the friends I made at the campground, and EVIL CAMP evolved from scaring kids at the campfire, which is what a late-night fire is for, right? You can read more about these in the Scoop Jackson section.