Born in Davenport, Iowa, L. W. Berrie was educated in California.  He graduated from California State University of Los Angeles with a B.S. in Mathematics and Science and worked 23 years in the aerospace industry in programming air defense systems for Europe as well as military command and control systems for ships and planes, strategic systems and intelligence systems.

During that time Berrie became involved with the Los Angeles Diocese Lay Mission Helpers program in preparing people for Africa. His research into Africa covered the Cubans in Angola as well as the genocide of the Watutsi in Rwanda and Burundi. The culture, beliefs and sexual customs of the Watutsi form the basis for the Teri African tribe in his books.

When the Berlin wall fell, the handwriting was on the wall for the aerospace industry. He went back to school in the Legal Assistance Program at the University of California at Irvine (UCI) and graduated with a 4.0 grade point average. He took additional writing courses at UCI to improve his skill as a writer.

The UC library system provided more depth into the Watutsi and the other tribes described in his books and the 7th Special Forces Group at Fort Bragg, N.C., provided the research materials on the Special Forces and the structure of the “A” team. Both were needed to write the story.

Berrie’s books have won recognition  in the Science Fiction Category of the New York Book Festival 2007; in the Genre Based Category of the DIY Book Festival in Hollywood 2007; and in the Genre Based Category, London Book Festival 2007.

Author interview: