B. A. Ritzenthaler served nearly three decades in the U.S. Navy and Military Sealift Command, where he learned to fix just about anything with duct tape, sarcasm, and coffee. He's been a medic, a leader, a sailor, and occasionally the guy who asks, "Is this supposed to be leaking?"

Today he writes memoir, political fiction, and speculative fiction that explore leadership, resilience, and the choices people make when the world refuses to cooperate. Some stories are funny, some unsettling, and a few manage to be both at once.

When he's not writing, he's probably woodworking, birdwatching, or pretending not to be emotionally attached to a hummingbird feeder. He lives on the East Coast with his wife, Susan, and believes the best stories are always worth the journey.