Derek lives in Frisco, Texas, and graduated from Baylor University. He has been a public classroom teacher and school administrator.

He is a member of Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, Sisters in Crime North Dallas, Private Eye Writers of America, Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, The Author’s Guild, and Alliance of Independent Authors.

Derek has written the short story “Think of the Children” in Malice in Dallas as well as “The Prime Witness to the Murder of Dr. Malachi Samson” in Reckless in Texas. In addition to Partners in Crime and Seven For a Secret Never To Be Told e’s also written the YA mystery We Planned a Murder.