After many years as an educator, I decided to get serious about a literary career. Writing as L. B. Mendel, I published my first novel, "Yard Sale, " in March 2010. "Yard Sale, " slang for a fall in which a skier loses skis, poles, and other gear, takes place in a mountain town bitterly divided over a new development. "Yard Sale" was named as a Finalist in the popular fiction category of the National Indie Excellence Awards, and in 2012, I completed the screenplay adaptation.
I am currently working on a mystery set at the South Pole. The story features an unlikely detective, female astrophysicist Rachel Wexby. Rachel's intelligence and training serve her well as she tries to solve the murder of her best friend, the station's only doctor.
I maintain an author website, lbmendel.com, where I post--and sometimes rant--on a variety of timely topics, including books, current events, and observations about the writing life. I also do freelance work for a private college.