Meet the writer: Hal Simpkin

Hal Simpkin has been writing in one genre or another for much of his lifetime. It needs to be said that, historically, the lion’s share of the product has been pleasure for Hal. In his capacity of Manager of Flight Test Development Laboratories for McDonnell Aircraft Corporation, he did dash off a plethora of technically-oriented nonfiction which provided little pleasure for anyone as a reader, but a decent living as an engineer.

A couple of published non-fiction works came when he collaborated with Mississippi River historian Ruth Ferris on a biographical sketch of his great grandfather, riverboat owner-captain William H. Thorwegen. Later there was a published book entitled Paired Comparisons and Personnel Compensation: A Computer Aided Approach, This was written as a thesis for his degree of MS in Business Management.

If time permitted, he'd take a crack at fiction---mostly in the mystery or adventure genres. Some earlier efforts went, mercifully, unnoticed . . . or damned by faint praise from family and friends. Then, with more discretionary time, he began to take college-level instruction in writing skills.

Recently, High Hill Press published Hal’s first novel: G-Eye, a mystery-adventure story of covert military activity, set after the end of World War II. He is currently working on a number of short stories and a new novel.

Hal and his wife Chris live in Creve Coeur, Missouri, with their pets, which include copious birds, squirrels, raccoons and an occasional deer.