C. Joseph Elder

I am totally drawn to high adventure. It is my choice for the books that I read, the movies that I watch and the world in which I live. Love the adventures of Indiana Jones' as he travels around the world in search of invaluable lost relics and Peter Benchley's "Jaws", especially "The Deep".

Though not quite as adventureous as my favorite characters, I have traveled to many far away places and have had my own list of great adventures. I've searched and found rare antiques of which some of my finds, like Indiana Jones are on display in museums in England and in the United States. As a scuba diver, I have dived in foreign waters and very unique places. I've even had the opportunity to work on underwater archeology projects on historic shipwrecks off the coast of England. In fact, the idea for the EcoExplorers was developed between Allen and me on the deck of a dive boat as we returned from a trip diving on WWII wrecks off the coast of Virginia. We also dove the walls at Andros and the blue holes on and off the island that appear in the novel. I also enjoy sailing, owned a vintage Pearson "Aerial" and also crewed regularly aboard the schooner "Spirit of Independence" including the 2011 Great Chesapeake Bay Schooner Race with Allen.

As a profession, I own Skipjack Nautical Wares & Marine Gallery with my wife Alison, located on the waterfront in historic Olde Towne Portsmouth, Virginia where we reside with two dogs and two cats. My daughters currently attend Mary Washington University in Fredericksburg, Virginia. Jacy is working on her liberal arts degree and Kaitie on her masters in education.