RICK CAMPBELL, a retired Navy Commander, served on four nuclear-powered submarines, finishing his career with tours in the Pentagon and the Washington Navy Yard. On his last submarine, he was one of the two men whose permission is required to launch the submarine's nuclear warhead-tipped missiles. Upon retirement from the Navy, Rick was signed by Macmillan / St. Martin's Press for his novel - The Trident Deception, which was hailed by Booklist as "The best submarine novel since Tom Clancy's classic - The Hunt for Red October". Rick lives with his wife and three children in the greater Washington, D.C. area, and is under contract for the fifth and sixth books in this series, sequels to The Trident Deception, Empire Rising, Ice Station Nautilus, and Blackmail. To learn more, visit Rick Campbell's website and his "Submarine 101" page at www.rickcampbellauthor.com.