Floyd & Mikki (Book 2): Zombie Slayers (Dawn of the Living) (28 page)

Joseph Tatner began his life as a genuine Forrest Gump (with a substantially higher IQ). His legs were deformed, requiring leg braces and orthopedic shoes for the first two years of his life. The doctor suggested he get into dancing to strengthen his legs, but he suffered from severe childhood asthma. At age 8, he finally began tap, jazz and ballet dancing and at age 9 made his television debut tap dancing in an early episode of The Partridge Family. This led to a long career in television, stage, film and radio as a true triple threat: singer/dancer/actor. Joe lost his voice temporarily to a freakish growth on one vocal cord that required surgery. It was nearly ten years before he could sing again, but he studied opera in Milan, Italy and can be seen occasionally singing and dancing on stage or in a walk-on role in the movies.

Joseph heard another calling early in his life and entered the seminary to become a priest, even studying for a year in Rome before returning to the United States, where a car accident injured his back. After a year of therapy and mounting bills, he started an entertainment business, producing shows and eventually performing again. Then he joined the United States Air Force and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant. The day he arrived at his base, however, all the KC-135 tanker aircraft he was supposed to maintain were sent to the reserve unit on base, meaning the planes stayed there but he officially had no position. A year later, he resigned honorably from the Air Force after his two requests to volunteer for service in Iraq were denied.

While in the Air Force, Joseph bought his first AT&T computer. Playing the latest games required the ability to install new memory, hard drives, video cards, etc. Before long, he became a recognized Geek and was soon writing technical documents or managing complex IT projects throughout the US and overseas. He currently works from home as a freelance writer, taking care of his 11-year-old daughter.

Despite numerous challenges and setbacks, Joseph is living proof that you can't keep a good man down. This spirit of never giving up and determination to conquer all odds is pervasive throughout Floyd and Mikki.

Long live Floyd and Mikki and what they stand for!