Southard, Duke: - Retreat from the Precipice is Duke Southard's eighth novel and eleventh book. All seven of his previous novels have been finalists in prestigious book awards such as the Next Generation Indie Book Awards, the International Book Awards, the American Fiction Book Awards, and the New Mexico/Arizona Book Awards.His short works have earned numerous awards with "The Fallacy of Closure" placing first in the personal essay division of the Writer's Digest Literary Awards Competition.Professionally, he has received the New Hampshire Excellence in Education Award for his outstanding contributions to the state's school library/media profession. His educational credentials include a Bachelor of Science in English Education from Villanova University, a Master of English Education from Rowan University, and a CAGS from Boston University.He is married with three children and lives in southern Arizona.