Andy Harp

Andy Harp was born in a small Arkansas town on the banks of the Mississippi River. As a child, while hearing his father recount his colorful military experiences in the Pacific during World War II, he gained a lifelong appreciation for storytelling. When his parents moved to rural New Jersey Harp had the opportunity for some unusual life experiences. He served, for example, as an intern at the 1964 Democratic National convention held that year in Atlantic City where he heard Bobby Kennedy eulogize his brother, President John F. Kennedy. After college and his extensive European travels, Harp did a tour on active duty in the Marine Corps, where he was a leader of a small group of mountain and arctic-trained instructors. When his active duty ended Harp returned to the South to attend law school at Mercer University in Macon, Georgia. He later served as an assistant district attorney, where he prosecuted felonies. When Harp left the criminal prosecution field he decided to become a civil trial attorney, and has participated in cases in more than eight states, from Texas to Florida. While building a successful career in law, he was also succeeding in another career -the United States Marine Corps Reserve. During nearly thirty years spent in the Reserves, Harp rose to the level of Colonel and served in the Persian Gulf, Central America, Europe, Korea, and the Pentagon. He was mobilized for Operation Enduring Freedom the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan where he was the Officer in Charge of the Marines Crisis Action Team for Marine Forces Central Command and Marine Forces Pacific. A Northern Thunder, his first novel, has received praise from both Marines and national reviewers (Publishers Weekly, Booklist, Midwest Book Review, etc.) Harp currently lives with his wife and four children in Columbus, Georgia.