A Southern California native with a passion for history and construction, D.J. Phinney graduated from Rensselaer Polytechnic with a master's in engineering in the twilight of perceived American innocence. Leaving the Air Force after the Vietnam war, he returned to California and built a career as a licensed civil and mechanical engineer responsible for designing and overseeing construction of over $100 million dollars' worth of water and wastewater infrastructure in California and Arizona. His favorite accolade came from a contractor who asked his client. When he left the worksite was Dennis clean or dirty? On being told his clothes were filthy, the client was told, That's why we hire him. He's been fortunate to always have a healthy share of work.A death threat from an insurance company in the aftermath of the Northridge Earthquake overturned Phinney's world and launched him in a new direction. Figuring novels are a sneaky way to write about the truth, and captivated by L.A.'s master storytellers like Raymond Chandler, James M. Cain, James Ellroy, and Ray Bradbury, he began writing fiction writing.Phinney writes what he calls Red Car Noir, tales of the dark side of the American dream typically set around Los Angeles in the early 1900s when a veneer of front-page optimism whitewashed the corruption that shattered lives on boulevards of broken dreams. And he also writes about our vulnerability and our need to connect, to feel a part of something bigger than ourselves, while taking to task the trite insensitivity to which we are so often exposed.The Society for the Complete Extermination of Ethan Frome, Phinney's third published novel, takes readers back to a time where every boy graduating from high school faced the draft while Hollywood was telling us that Love means never having to say you're sorry. Phinney has been married to his wife, Sharon, for over 40 years with one grown son and two grandsons. He divides his time between Irvine and La Cañada, California, and when not writing, he can often be found exploring local history, cooking, or adding to the natural landscape of his La Cañada home. And he is an accomplished amateur chef who sometimes even shares his recipes!
