Neil, Mike: - Mike Neil is an author and artist whose first novel, the prequel to Africa Heart and Soul, was The Miracle of Africa, published in 2014. That book was followed in 2021 by Trees in the Mist, a historical fiction work based on Mike's research of his own family tree, going back all the way to the American Revolution. A retired State Fish and Wildlife Officer, Mike currently serves as a national leader in the field of Police Chaplaincy, and is the founder and president of the Washington State Chaplain Foundation. Additionally, he is the cofounder of the National Police and Fire Chaplain Academy, and Regional Director for Region 2 for the International Conference of Police Chaplains. As the Senior Chaplain for the Washington State Patrol and the Department of Fish and Wildlife Police, Mike leads a statewide team of professional police chaplains who support officers in various aspects and stages of their career. He is a recognized speaker and a Northwest pen and ink artist. Mike and his wife Sue were childhood sweethearts and have been married over fifty years. They are the parents of three children-one who lives nearby with his family, and two who have gone on to Heaven. Mike and Sue make their home in Gig Harbor, Washington.