Boy Altared

 

 Historical Fiction

Date Published: April 1, 2026

Publisher: Acorn Publishing

 

Amid the vibrant landscape of San Francisco in the late 1960s, eleven-year-old Jamie steps into the confines of a dark confessional booth. With promises of confidentiality, Father Nelson uncovers a chilling secret buried deep within the young boy’s subconscious.

Intrigued by his grave past, Father Nelson brings him into the church as an altar boy under the mentorship of Harry, an older acolyte. The priest quickly gains control over Jamie, using the boy’s complicated history and his own undisputed authority to initiate a dark turn in their relationship. Jamie falls deeper into the world of religion, and his blooming friendship with Harry becomes a needed distraction from the somber realities of the church.

Shaped by major cultural events, from the Manson murders to the moon landing, to Woodstock and the Civil Rights Movement, Jamie’s life unfolds as he navigates religion, power, and loss of innocence. A haunting coming of age story, Boy Altared explores a seismic shift into adulthood during one of the most turbulent decades in history.

 

About the Author

 

 J.S. Pavoggi was born in 1957 and raised in Phoenix, Arizona, the sixth of eight children in a devout Catholic family. He attended parochial school, served as an altar boy, and came of age during the turbulence of the Vietnam War era and the cultural upheaval that followed.

After a 40-year career in public service with the United States Postal Service—where he also served as a union representative—Pavoggi experienced a life-altering heart procedure that changed the way he saw the world. What began as an impulse to write a better streaming series evolved into a powerful, fictionalized account of survival and healing.

His debut novel, Boy Altared, is a deeply personal work of historical fiction rooted in memory, silence, and resilience. Pavoggi lives in Arizona with his wife of 38 years. They have three children and four grandchildren.

 

Contact Links

Website

Goodreads

Instagram

TikTok

A Damned Dirty Thing: The Jake Bishop Files by Doc Blalock Genre: Noir Paranormal Sleuth Suspense

 

 

Some cases require a gun.

Others need magic.

This one demands both.

A Damned Dirty Thing:

The Jake Bishop Files

by Doc Blalock

Genre: Noir Paranormal Sleuth Suspense

The explosion should have killed him . . .

Jake Bishop is back on the streets of Solomon City, ten months after a mob bombing destroyed his office and murdered his partner and secretary. But Bishop isn’t just any private detective—he’s a “ditch wizard” able to step through shadow and bend reality to his will.

When the beautiful and mysterious Portia Vance answers his ad for a new secretary, Bishop thinks his luck might finally be changing. Together, they begin hunting Vito Morelli, the mob boss who ordered the hit that nearly ended Bishop’s life.

Their investigation leads them through the city’s darkest corners—from strip clubs to shadow banking operations, from corrupt cops to magical wards. But in a world where bullets and spells are equally deadly, and where everyone has secrets worth killing for, Bishop discovers that the line between hunter and hunted is thinner than he thought.

Some cases require a gun. Others need magic. This one demands both.

In the shadows of Solomon City, justice comes with a price—and revenge wears a beautiful face.

A gritty noir fantasy that proves sometimes the most dangerous magic is the human heart.

  

Amazon * Edgeweaver Books* Bookbub * Goodreads

Christopher “Doc” Blalock is a US Navy veteran Corpsman and retired counselor. He is a prolific fine artist, illustrator, musician, sculptor and writer, cursed with the itch to create. He draws inspiration from sources ranging from JRR Tolkien to Tom Clancy. He additionally draws from his love of classic black-and-white noir films, infusing their moody aesthetic and storytelling into his writing. A helpless coffee addict, he lives in the Atlanta suburbs with his childhood sweetheart and a dog of dubious moral character.

 

Website * Facebook * Facebook * Instagram * Amazon

Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

Enter the A Damned Dirty Thing Giveaway Here

Shifting Gears in the Crossroads

  

Business Nonfiction

Date Published: December 1, 2025

Publisher: MindStir Media

Your disruption is not a setback—it’s a setup for success.

At some point, every leader, entrepreneur, and professional reaches a crossroads. A career shift. A business disruption. A personal wake-up call. When what was working no longer fits who you are becoming, the question isn’t if change is coming—it’s how you respond.

In Shifting Gears in the Crossroads, veteran CEO, turnaround expert, and servant leader Darryl Heffline shares a powerful, faith-anchored roadmap for navigating life’s most pivotal transitions with clarity, courage, and purpose.

Drawing on more than 40 years of entrepreneurial and intrapreneurial leadership, Heffline shows how planned or unexpected disruptions can become defining moments of transformation—if you know how to shift gears.

Inside, you’ll discover two proven frameworks:

🔹 The Four Phases of Transformation

● Reposition – Let go of what no longer serves you

● Rebuild – Strengthen your foundation with intention

● Re-Emerge – Step forward with renewed clarity and confidence

● Realize – Align your life, leadership, and calling

🔹 The Five Essential Steps to Build a Compelling Case for Change

1. Recognize the Need for Change
2. Assess the Current State
3. Identify the Future State
4. Map One or Two Viable Paths Forward
5. Make the Right Choice and Commit with Conviction

Through honest, often humorous, and deeply relatable stories—including Ted the Entrepreneur, Jim the Entrepreneur, and Darryl’s own journey from startup founder to corporate intrapreneur—this book blends practical business wisdom with spiritual insight.

You’ll also gain access to downloadable tools and models designed to help you move beyond surface-level change into lasting transformation.

This book is perfect for:

● Recent college graduates entering the workforce

● Entrepreneurs launching, scaling, or exiting a business

● Early- to mid-career professionals seeking meaning and direction

● Faith-driven leaders navigating uncertainty with purpose

Whether you’re standing at a career crossroads, a leadership transition, or a personal turning point, Shifting Gears in the Crossroads will help you move from Here to There—with faith, focus, and forward momentum.

 

 

About the Author

Darryl Heffline is a seasoned CEO, turnaround expert, and servant leader with more than 40 years of experience helping people and organizations transform and grow. A serial entrepreneur turned intrapreneur, Darryl has launched six startups, led three major turnarounds, executed multiple acquisitions, and driven transformational growth within Fortune 100 companies.

Over the course of his career, he has raised more than $7 million in capital, secured $125 million in annualized contracts, and delivered over $100 million in measurable enterprise value through strategic leadership, operational excellence, and innovation. His work includes turning a struggling $6 million product line into a $60 million business, ultimately scaling toward $150 million in revenue with double-digit EBITDA performance in under three years.

An award-winning business plan writer, Darryl brings his real-world experience to readers through his debut book, Shifting Gears in the Crossroads, with future sequels planned.

Beyond business, Darryl is deeply committed to faith, family, and mentorship. He is a devoted husband of thirty years, father of two, and grandfather of two. A lay minister, wedding officiant, small-group leader, and coach, he has served in more than 35 ministry leadership roles across six states, including Elder, Worship Leader, Teacher, and Mentor.

Together with his wife Dana—an accomplished musician, worship leader, and ministry partner—Darryl continues to invest in discipleship, leadership development, and purpose-driven living. Whether in the boardroom, the church, or the classroom, his mission remains the same: to help others navigate change, discover calling, and lead with integrity.

 

Contact Links

Website

LinkedIn

Facebook

Instagram

Purchase Links

Amazon

B&N

Treacherous Hack A Mike Stoneman Mystery #7 by Kevin G. Chapman Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Police Procedural

 

One hacked file.

Three bodies.

Zero time.

From the award-winning Mike Stoneman Thriller series comes Book #7 — a gripping crime thriller set in the heart of a frozen New York City.

When electronics store owner Lou Palazzo is gunned down at a snowy Manhattan intersection, NYPD homicide detectives Mike Stoneman and Jason Dickson catch a case that’s anything but ordinary. Back at Lou’s shop, two Chinese nationals linked to a powerful Shanghai cybercrime ring are dead. The only clue? A missing laptop computer, possibly containing something Lou was willing to die to protect.

Meanwhile, NYU student Ryan Gelb is panicking. His hacked laptop held the stolen university data — data he quietly gave to his Uncle Lou. Now Lou is dead, and whoever killed him is coming for the file. . . and for Ryan.
Caught between international cybercriminals, New York mobsters, and the police, Ryan is desperate to recover the file and avoid being expelled — or worse, executed.

As Mike and Jason untangle a web of secrets, lies, and digital deception, they're met with stonewalling from all sides: NYU won’t talk, witnesses are hiding the truth, and even their closest allies are keeping dangerous secrets.
With the body count rising and a deadly showdown looming, the race is on to solve the mystery, recover the missing file, and avoid turning Lower Manhattan into a bloodbath.

Perfect for fans of Michael Connelly, John Sandford, and David Baldacci, this high-stakes police procedural mixes hard-boiled action, cybercrime intrigue, and unforgettable characters in a page-turning thriller you won’t be able to put down.

 

What readers are saying:

 “A page-turner of a police procedural, with multiple cryptological clues and misdirections. The convoluted plot is enough to keep readers on the edge of their seats throughout. While the action is nearly nonstop, it is inevitable that readers along the way will get invested in relationships such as that between Ryan and Star. All the main characters and many of the minor ones keep dangerous secrets, demonstrating once again the fallibility of human nature.”

~ S. W. Lawrence, MD, author of climate fiction including Climate Dragon and Cloud Dragon.

 

“Chapman delivers another pulse-pounding thriller that seamlessly weaves cybercrime, organized crime, and family loyalties into one explosive narrative of how far people will go to protect their secrets. This high-stakes thriller has non-stop action and suspense that culminates in a riveting page-turner until the end.”

 ~ LoLo Paige, award-winning author of Alaska Firestorm and Alaska Inferno.

 

“Treacherous Hack grabs you from the first chapter and doesn’t let go! An exciting police procedural that makes you feel like you’re on a ride-a-long with the detectives, conspiring with the bad guys, and hanging out in a dorm room with the young guys caught in the middle of it all.”

 ~ Laurel Heidtman, author of The Eden Mysteries.

 

“A pulse-pounding thriller that seamlessly weaves cybercrime, organized crime, and family loyalties into one explosive narrative of how far people will go to protect their secrets.”

 ~ LoLo Paige, award-winning author of Alaska Firestorm and Alaska Inferno.

  

 

Amazon * Audible * Bookshop * B&N * Bookbub * Goodreads

from Chapter 3 -- On the Scene

 

DETECTIVE MIKE STONEMAN CALLED OUT to his partner as soon as Jason ducked under the crime scene tape stretched across the sidewalk.

“Jason! Over here.” Mike waved his arm, beckoning Jason toward the center of the intersection. Since Mike lived in Manhattan, he had arrived fifteen minutes before his partner. A clot of officers and emergency services personnel milled about without much urgency.

“Nice night,” Jason said sarcastically.

Mike, dressed in a down parka and a blue-and-orange knit hat pulled down over his ears, grunted his agreement. Mike was a full five inches shorter than Jason and twenty years older. Even in their winter clothes, Jason’s style showed through, with his tailored wool overcoat, gloves, scarf, and LL Bean duck boots. Mike had long since stopped worrying about the fact that his partner was taller, better looking, in better shape, and a better dresser. Mike possessed wisdom that came from experience, which was the one thing Jason could not have. At least not until he had twenty-five years on the force like Mike. They had been partners for five years.

A uniformed officer with a plastic cover over his hat approached Mike as Jason arrived. “Detective Stoneman, the medical examiner is finished. Can we remove the body now?”

“Not yet,” Mike responded. “I want Detective Dickson to get a look at the scene first.”

The officer left to give his fellow officers the bad news – they all had to stay outside their warm squad cars.

As they walked around the intersection, Mike gave Jason the rundown. “The stiff’s name is Lou Palazzo. His wallet was in his pants pocket with a driver’s license, so the ID was pretty easy. He’s got a record from years back. Did three years in Sing Sing in the twenty-teens for conspiracy to commit murder. He was connected to the Gallata family. Since he got out, he’s had no arrests. He ran an electronics store and pawn shop over on the corner of Avenue B, a block away.” Mike pointed to the far end of the block. “He had a little cash and some credit cards in his wallet.”

Jason looked down at the remainder of the dead man’s head. “So, not a robbery, then?”

Mike didn’t laugh. “The snow and slush on the street mangled any physical evidence here, but there is blood in the snow outside his shop. It looks like he was shot inside the shop in the shoulder, tried to escape in this direction, then got caught here in the intersection and plugged once in the head. No cell phone on him. He wasn’t wearing a coat, so he left in a hurry. When we finish here, there are two more stiffs in the shop.”

“So, there’s more to see?” Jason asked.

“Oh, yeah. Plenty. We’ll get over there in a minute. The officer in the first squad car saw two figures in the middle of the street from a few blocks away and hit his lights. By the time he got here, Lou was dead on the ground and the other person had fled the scene on foot.”

Jason squatted to get a look at the body without dipping his knees into the slush. The kill shot entered the man’s head above his left ear and exited through his neck – a clean kill, likely fired by a person standing over the victim.

“Seen enough?” Mike asked.

“Sure. Thanks for doing the reconnaissance.”

“Let’s go see the shop. That’s where the action was.” Mike turned to the west. “Oh, and by the way, was that Rachel I saw over there with a cameraman?”

“Yeah,” Jason said without stopping. “She got a call from her network to come work this scene. She’s been bugging them for weeks about getting a chance to cover breaking news instead of the fluffy studio stuff. You know, the healthcare pieces and emergency services and such. She’s been on the on-call list every weekend since Halloween, hoping to get a call. Unfortunately, tonight was the night.”

“You need to be careful, Jason. You can’t spill any information to her. I know we talked about this possibly happening someday. Well, shit just got real. Sully will have your hide if he thinks you’re feeding her inside dirt on the investigation.”

“I know. I’m not telling her anything. But I can’t stop her from working. This is a big deal for her.”

“Sure. I get it,” Mike said. “But be careful.”

“You don’t need to tell me.”

  

Don’t miss the rest of the Mike Stoneman Mysteries!

Find them on

  Amazon

Kevin G. Chapman is an attorney specializing in labor and employment law. Kevin has now completed seven books in the Mike Stoneman Thriller series: Righteous Assassin (Kindle Book Award semi-finalist), Deadly Enterprise (Kindle Book Award semi-finalist), Lethal Voyage, (Winner of the 2021 Kindle Book Award, CLUE finalist, RONE finalist), Fatal Infraction (Best Police Procedural of the year – CLUE Award), Perilous Gambit, Double Takedown, and now, Treacherous Hack. In late 2022, Kevin published a stand-alone mystery/thriller titled Dead Winner (CLUE Award - Best Suspense/Thriller of the year). Then, in 2024 came The Other Murder, winner of the CLUE Award Grand Prize (best suspense/thriller of the year) and finalist for the National Indie Excellence Award. Kevin is a resident of Central New Jersey and is a graduate of Columbia College and Boston University School of Law. Readers can contact Kevin via his website at www.KevinGChapman.com.

  

Website * Facebook * FB Group * Instagram * Bluesky * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads

 

Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

Enter the Treacherous Hack Giveaway Here

Death and Life in the City of Dreams

 

 Literary Fiction

Date Published: April 16th

Publisher: Acorn Publishing

Jaded city planner Townsend Meadows looks out across Evermore Valley with the ghost of his dead friend by his side. “Do you ever wonder,” Fen asks, “what this city will look like five hundred years from now?”

Their city is teetering on the brink of collapse, and the mayor’s answer is a gleaming new auto mall at the valley’s edge. For Townsend, it’s the death of everything a city should be. Struggling to regain his passion and forced to choose between compliance and conviction, he must risk his career to fight for a more hopeful and verdant future.

From an architect’s vision at the dawn of the twentieth century, to a rancher’s dynasty scarred by violence and greed, to a city founder’s hidden message of hope, this story about the rise, fall, and reawakening of an American city reaches far beyond the present. A timely, sweeping novel of memory, corruption, and resilience, Death and Life in the City of Dreams asks, “What legacy will we choose to leave for our children?”

 

Excerpt

City of Evermore

Stop the Bleeding

At the civic center, Townsend rides his bike through the parking court, past rows of cars arrayed between the building’s stucco wings. He locks his bike and slips his helmet off, and his phone begins to vibrate. He takes the phone from his pocket and looks at the screen. Dad. The vibrations persist.

Townsend doesn’t want to answer. He knows the call will be difficult. Everything with Dad has become difficult. He swipes the screen with his thumb.

“Hey, Pop. How’re you doing?” He braces himself.

“Townsend? Townsend? It’s me, Dad. Are you there?”

“Hi, Dad. Yeah, I’m here. Everything okay? I’m about to go into a meeting—”

“I can’t find your mother. Is she there with you?”

Ugh. “Dad, mom’s been dead for thirty-five years—”

“She was here this morning. She woke me. She was here . . .”

“Pop, we’ve talked about this. Sometimes you see her in your dreams. It’s okay. It’s nice that you see her.”

“Well, I just thought she might be with you, and—”

Townsend glances toward the building. A gathering is pressed at the entrance, troubled by something he can’t see.

“Dad, I have to go into this meeting now. But I’ll call you when it’s over, all right?”

“I can’t find her, TomTom. I can’t find her. She was here, and we were—”

A woman’s voice intrudes on the call. “Mr. Meadows, it’s Dorthea Wickem. Your father woke this morning very confused. More than usual. We’re taking good care of him, but he’d like to see you when you’re able.”

“Of course, of course. I’ll be there this afternoon. And thank you.” Townsend ends the call with a long, guilt-ridden sigh. He glances toward the entrance. Something isn’t right, but the sun is in his face, well above the valley’s rim, hot and dry. He grabs his water bottle and takes a swig. He pours the rest over his head, letting the water trickle down his face and back. A moment of tepid relief. He closes his eyes and considers the opportunity, to ditch the meeting and see his dad. The meeting will be difficult. Time with his dad will be difficult.

He mops himself with his shirt and makes his way toward the entrance, where gawkers press close to stare at a grim warning scrawled in red paint across the automatic doors, which slide open and shut, open and shut, pulling the words apart and pushing them together.

Stop the bleeding—motherfuckers!

A woman turns to him with a pained look. “What does it mean?”

Townsend stares at her, searching for an answer. He has no idea. “It means somebody’s angry, and they wanted us to know.”

 

About the Author

 

Nicholas Deitch is a writer, architect, and advocate for social justice whose fiction explores the intersection of cities, history, and human resilience. His passion for storytelling began when a colleague recognized the emotional depth of his nonfiction work. Since then, he has honed his craft, publishing short stories in Litro Magazine, Club Plum, and Santa Barbara Literary Journal. His short story “Grace Eternal” won Best Fiction at the Santa Barbara Writers Conference (2019).

Death and Life in the City of Dreams, his debut novel, is deeply influenced by his experiences in nonprofit leadership and the design of inclusive communities and urban places.

Originally from Los Angeles, he now lives in Ventura, California, with his wife and creative partner Diana.

 

Contact Link

Facebook

 

Eternal Dominion

 

 

Epic Fantasy

Date Published: September 12, 2025

Publisher: MindStir Media

The Eden Vault, Book One

In a continent shaped by ancient secrets and forgotten science, power is measured not only in armies—but in monsters.

For centuries, the Kingdom of Valkalor has ruled through terror, harnessing prehistoric creatures to crush rivals and expand its dominion. Bound beneath the reign of the ruthless King Gadrion, the realm teeters on the edge of total war. When a new external threat emerges—one powerful enough to destroy the fragile balance restraining Gadrion’s ambition—the king seizes his moment.

But his plans begin to unravel when his daughters, Kendra and Cerelia, uncover the horrifying truth behind their father’s designs.

Forced into exile and hunted across savage lands, the sisters must navigate a brutal world of political intrigue, assassins, mercenaries, and carnivorous saurians. Their only hope lies in the Eden Vault—a legendary and ancient chamber rumored to wield power over creation itself.

As rival kingdoms march toward genocide and war threatens to consume the known world, impossible choices loom:

● Will uniting their father’s enemies ignite an even greater catastrophe?

● Can the Vault stop the coming war—or unleash a force far worse?

● And who is truly manipulating events from the shadows of Valkalor’s rise?

Blending epic fantasy, science fantasy, and high-stakes thriller pacing, Eternal Dominion launches The Eden Vault Series—a sweeping saga of dynastic power struggles, dinosaur-driven warfare, dark magic-adjacent mythologies, and deeply personal journeys of love, loyalty, and rebellion.

Perfect for readers who love:

● Epic fantasy with political intrigue

● Dark fantasy with moral complexity

● Monster and dinosaur-driven worlds

● Strong heroine-led narratives

● High-action, cinematic storytelling

⚠️ Content Warning: Written for mature adult readers. Includes graphic violence, trauma, war, strong language, an intimate scene, and occasional drug use.

The war is coming.

The Vault is real.

And time is running out.

About the Author

Dan Hardez is an epic fantasy and science-fantasy author, lifelong learner, and storyteller whose work blends cinematic action, political intrigue, and speculative science into immersive secondary worlds.

An avid reader from childhood, Dan’s imagination was ignited early by novels that fused science, history, and suspense—sparking a lifelong fascination with worldbuilding and high-stakes storytelling. He completed his first novel-length story at age eleven and dreamed of crafting sweeping epics that explored power, discovery, and the cost of ambition.

Life eventually pulled him away from writing as he pursued a career and raised a family, but during the COVID pandemic—amid isolation and personal transition—Dan returned to the page after nearly two decades away. What began as an experiment quickly reignited his creative drive, evolving into The Eden Vault Series, a sprawling saga shaped by years of lived experience and deep research.

Dan is the author of Eternal Dominion, the flagship novel of the series, along with three prequel anthologies—Spectra, Cinderr, and Azemar—with the sequel, Fallen Crescents, currently in progress. His stories draw heavily from history, politics, paleontology, anthropology, and emerging scientific concepts, woven into dark, character-driven fantasy worlds.

A self-described “pantser,” Dan writes without rigid outlines, allowing characters to steer the narrative in unexpected directions. He often says he knows how the saga will end—but not always how the characters will get there.

By day, Dan balances a full-time career and raising two incredible kids. By night, he continues building the world of Valkalor, driven by a passion for storytelling and a deep appreciation for the readers who step into his worlds.

When he’s not writing, Dan enjoys traveling, following professional sports, and escaping into Colorado’s outdoors.

Readers can explore more about The Eden Vault Series, upcoming releases, and exclusive content at danielhardez.com, and connect with him on Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, and beyond.

 

Contact Links

Website

TikTok

Instagram

Facebook

Amazon Author Page

 

Purchase Links

Amazon

Kindle

Spectra

Cinderr

Azemar

Your Brain Weighs 500 Pounds

  

Change Your Mindset to Achieve Desired Outcomes

Self-help, Motivational, Success, Transformational Psychology

Date Published: November 8, 2023

 

 

 What if the biggest obstacle to your success isn’t your circumstances—

but your mindset?

Every day, your brain consumes a steady diet of negative news, social media noise, unhealthy beliefs, and self-limiting ideas. Just like poor nutrition damages the body, poor mental input sabotages discipline, productivity, and long-term success.

In Your Brain Weighs 500 Pounds, U.S. Army combat veteran, Fortune 500 technology executive, and high-performance advisor Derrick Pledger delivers a powerful and practical framework for transforming how you think, act, and achieve.

This thought-provoking and highly accessible book presents 100 short lessons—called “recipes”—designed to help you detox your mindset, strengthen discipline, and build habits that compound into life-changing results.

Whether your goal is career advancement, entrepreneurship, improved relationships, better health, or personal fulfillment, this book shows you how success is built—not overnight—but daily.

Inside This Book, You’ll Learn How To:

● Reframe failure as fuel for growth and long-term achievement

● Build discipline and consistency without burnout

● Eliminate self-sabotaging behaviors and mental clutter

● Develop habits that drive upward mobility and performance

● Create clarity around goals and obsess over what matters

● Treat your brain like your body—by feeding it the right “mental nutrients”

Grounded in real-world experience, extensive research, and years of personal journaling, Your Brain Weighs 500 Pounds distills complex success principles into clear, actionable insights you can apply in minutes a day.

Why Readers Love This Book

Readers from all walks of life have experienced profound transformation, including:

● Losing significant weight and reclaiming control over their health

● Advancing from mid-level roles to executive leadership positions

● Gaining clarity, confidence, and momentum after years of stagnation

“I read this book on a four-hour flight and landed as a completely different person.”

This isn’t motivational fluff. It’s a mental operating system for becoming a daily achiever—someone who understands that success is the by-product of learning, failing forward, and getting better every single day.

If you’re ready to put your brain on a better mental diet and finally achieve the outcomes you want, this book is your recipe for success.

 

About the Author

 

 Derrick Pledger is a U.S. Army combat veteran, Fortune 500 technology executive, digital strategist, and author passionate about helping people unlock their full potential through mindset, discipline, and intentional action.

Currently serving as Chief Digital and Information Officer (CDIO) at Maximus Inc., Derrick leads enterprise-wide technology strategy, artificial intelligence operations, and large-scale digital modernization initiatives. With more than 20 years of industry experience, his expertise spans systems integration, automation, cloud and edge computing, AI, data analytics, IT governance, and end-to-end solution development.

Before joining Maximus, Derrick was Chief Information Officer at Leidos, where he oversaw global IT delivery operations supporting a $17-billion organization with more than 48,000 employees worldwide. Earlier in his career, he ran a multi-million-dollar export business in his twenties and became a Fortune 500 CIO by age forty.

As an author, Derrick’s journey is rooted in resilience and persistence. While serving in the U.S. Army, he transformed a failed screenplay into a novel manuscript—written during downtime in Iraq. After dozens of rejections, that effort led to a co-written book deal with Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, resulting in the 2008 release of The Diamond District.

Fifteen years later, driven by a mission to democratize success, Derrick released his second book, Your Brain Weighs 500 Pounds, after investing more than 1,500 hours researching mindset, habits, and high-performance behaviors. His work challenges conventional thinking about failure, goal-setting, and achievement, offering readers a practical blueprint for sustained personal and professional growth.

In addition to writing, Derrick advises individuals, teams, and organizations on high performance and leadership, and he is a partner at 500 Pound Media, a digital content company focused on personal development and achievement.

Born and raised in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Derrick believes that success is not reserved for the lucky or the privileged—but for those willing to develop the right mindset and show up consistently, even when failure is part of the process.

Contact Links

Website

LinkedIn

Instagram: @derrickrpledger

Youtube: @500poundmedia 

Goodreads

Purchase Links

Amazon

B&N