Dragon's Ring
Dave Freer is an Ichthyologist turned author because he'd heard that the spelling requirements were simpler. They lied about that. He lives in a remote part of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, with his wife and chief proof-reader, Barbara, four dogs and four cats, two sons (Paddy and James) and just at the moment no shrews, birds, bats or any other rescued wildlife. His first book—The Forlorn(Baen)—came out in 1999. Since then he has co-authored with Eric Flint (Rats, Bats and Vats,The Rats, the Bats and the Ugly,Pyramid SchemeandPyramid Power,The Sorceress of Karres) and with Mercedes Lackey and Eric Flint (The Shadow of the Lion,This Rough Magic,The Wizard of Karres) as well as writing various shorter works. Besides working as a Fisheries Scientist for the Western Cape shark fishery, running a couple of fish farms, he has worked as a commercial diver and as a relief chef at several luxury game lodges. Yes: he can both cook and change diapers. (No man ever really gets tired of danger sports.) He spent two years as a conscripted soldier along the way, so he can iron too. His interests are rock climbing (he's still good at it), diving, flyfishing (he's still bad at it), fly-tying, wine-tasting and the preparation of food, especially by traditional means—smoking and salting, all the good unhealthy things.