Daniel Burke

I was born in Detroit in 1963, and I’ve lived in Michigan, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Georgia. I’ve traveled extensively both inside and outside the US.

I hold a bachelor’s degree from Ramapo College of New Jersey and a master’s from Iona College of New York. Both are for Computer Information Systems. I was never smart enough to do the math for Computer Science, but I still think of myself as a software developer. Though, it’s been many years since I’ve written any serious code. I did this website. I hope it doesn’t show.

I retired from United Parcel Service in 2022, where I held a variety of positions in Information Technology, including Vice President of Application Development. To this day, I remain brown through and through as I feel UPS is one of America’s best companies.

My home is in Cumming, Georgia, which is a small city about 40 miles northeast of Atlanta. I have three children and six grandchildren. All live nearby and all of them are my favorite.

I am a lifelong runner, though my pace has grown with the years as my distance has shortened. I’ve run three full marathons and several halves. I try to combine my love for running with my love for travel, having run road races in many US and international cities. The county where I live has an outstanding trail system, and running remains one of my favorite things to do, though my knees might complain.

Motorcycle touring is another one of my passions. Especially, long-distance riding that involves overnight stays in national parks, usually in tents, and often at altitudes where it’s always cold. I’ve crisscrossed the country a dozen times solo and with my sons. Together, we’ve travelled thousands of miles through the deserts and mountains of Nevada, California, Utah, Arizona, Colorado and New Mexico.

My preferred bikes are Triumphs, but I’ve owned and enjoyed other makes, including Harleys and Yamahas.

I’m an amateur photographer addicted to cameras and lenses well beyond my skill level to operate properly. Sometimes I think I buy lenses just for the red ring (you Canon people will know what this means). None of my photos have won any awards or hang in any galleries, but they fill the walls of my home and bring me great pleasure.

Other things I’ve dabbled at include sail planes, scuba diving, and, of course, creative writing.

I write long fiction because I fall in love with my characters, and I need the time a novel length work provides to let them tell their story. It’s a risky endeavor, and it often ends with a manuscript written for an audience of one. But to create a world in a reader’s head and know that the reader will feel as strongly about your characters as you do can be as thrilling as racing down a mountain road on two wheels.