A Little Wine. A Little Mystery. A Lot of Heart.

Doug has spent more than twenty years in the hospitality industry, building a career around good food, great wine, and the stories that unfold when people gather around a table. After years of studying and appreciating fine wine, he transitioned into the wine industry full-time in 2021, making his home and career in Oregon's Willamette Valley.

With a background in musical theatre and a lifelong love of storytelling, Doug eventually found his way to writing fiction. A devoted fan of Agatha Christie and classic whodunits, he set out to create a mystery series that combined his love of the genre with his passion for wine, hospitality, and life in Oregon wine country. The result was The Cedar Grove Mysteries.

At the heart of the series is Ellis Bain, a former New York City sommelier who returns to his Oregon roots and finds himself solving mysteries in the picturesque town of Cedar Grove. Drawing on his hospitality experience, keen observational skills, and remarkable sensory memory, Ellis discovers that reading people can be just as useful in solving a murder as selecting the perfect glass of wine.

As a gay author, Doug is passionate about bringing authentic queer representation to the cozy mystery genre. He believes LGBTQ+ characters deserve stories in which they can simply exist, fall in love, build friendships, find community, and, of course, solve the occasional murder. Through Ellis and the residents of Cedar Grove, Doug hopes to create a world that feels welcoming, familiar, and full of heart.

When he isn't writing, Doug can usually be found hosting game nights, watching movies with his husband, Aaron, and their fifteen-year-old basset hound, Maggie, or enjoying a glass of wine at a local taphouse. One of his greatest joys is hosting an annual Friendsgiving dinner, bringing people together over favorite dishes from his childhood alongside recipes he's discovered and perfected over the years.