Davis Riddle grew up in southern Alabama, the only boy among four sisters and the only grandson to carry the Riddle name. Possessed with the a love of the outdoors and an explorer’s soul, Davis started backpacking before he was old enough to shave. Tied with his love of the mountains, where good hard stone could be found under foot, is a passion for experience.
Davis has hiked with nothing but a traveling kilt and a bed roll through the mountains, drank from running streams, bathed in roaring water falls, and slept in the wilderness in earshot of mountain lions. He has flown in a B-17 bomber, slept on a WWII battleship, served with the Sky Warn Network chasing tornadoes, swam salt-marshes, and had dinner on giant fortresses lost in the swamp. His explorer’s heart has brought him miles down lonely bayous to explore forgotten ruins and kayaking across the mighty Mississippi, dodging alligators and ocean-going freighters to explore a disappearing 18th century Spanish fortress and a ghost town now lost to the world from Hurricane Katrina’s wrath.
Davis has always marched to his own tune and his rejection of the shallow social hierarchy in high school brought him in contact with a small but very loyal group of friends who shared a love of literature and writing. Against the wishes and efforts of the school's administration, that small band of intellectually gifted rebels formed their own club called The Council, which stressed a chivalrous code and promoted creativity in all forms, from art to writing. The first seeds of his own creative world were planted among that group, which have taken root and now flourish in a series of novels he has written and will publish.
Davis is a Consulting Forester and president of his own firm, practicing in South Mississippi and the Florida Parishes of Louisiana. His daily experiences in swamp and hill continue to provide him with a wealth of experiences on which to draw for his writing. Because he has crawled through mud-filled ruins, pushed through heavy vegetation in remote swamps, slept on frozen ground and drank from running mountain brooks, he can describe with empathy a world of settings, can describe fully what a character might endure or experience, and can reveal to the reader the subtle nuances that could never otherwise be described. He is married with a wonderful son who already, at less than 3 years of age, tells stories of his Nanna’s castle populated with dinosaurs and a daddy-knight.
He has written and copyrighted two novels, Rise of the Dark Son and Lord of the Dark Realm, and is currently working on the third and final novel in the series dealing with a world in the frozen grip of a wicked invader. In the Fall of 2007 his novella, "Fiend Fighter" appears in the Wandering Men's collaborative work, Skein of Shadows, and will be published by Dark Quest Games. Also in 2007, his short story "Refuge" will be featured in Southern Fried Weirdness, an anthology of southern writers. Davis is an Eagle Scout and is very active in his community and church.
Davis is a founding member of the Wandering Men, having explored the long, rocky trails of the Appalachian Mountains as well as worked creatively with the talented and creative group of writers and artists.
Comments (1)
Family and Friends
1
Monday, 14 April 2008 05:43
T. Michael Riddle
Hi Davis,
My Grandmother was Dora (Mimms) Dad is Thomas Coleman Riddle.
Seems as though you and I are kindred spirits as well as relatives, I would love to learn more about you and your many exploits.
I can be contacted through my company's website as well as through e-mail .
Hope to hear from you soon!
Best Regards, T. Michael Riddle
Share this with others: