Author

Robert Louis DeMayo is a native of Hollis, N.H., but has lived in many corners of the planet. He took up writing at the age of twenty when he left his job as a biomedical engineer to explore the world. His extensive journaling during his travels to more than one hundred countries inspired two of his novels and extensive work for the travel section of The Telegraph, out of Nashua, NH, and the Hollis Times. He is a member of The Explorers Club.

His undying hunger for exploration led to a job as marketing director for Eos, a company that served as a travel office for six non-profit organizations and offered dives to the Titanic and the Bismarck, Antarctic voyages, African safaris and archaeological tours throughout the world. For several years thereafter, Robert worked as a tour guide in Alaska and the Yukon during the summers and as a jeep guide in Arizona, during the winter. He was made general manager of the jeep tour company but eventually left the guiding world to write full time.

Robert Louis DeMayo is the author of six novels: “The Making of Theodore Roosevelt”, a fictionalized account of Roosevelt´s first acquaintance with wilderness living;  “The Light Behind Blue Circles”, a mystery thriller set in Africa; “The Wayward Traveler”, a semi-autobiographical story following a young traveller on his adventures abroad;  “Pledge to the Wind, The Legend of Everett Ruess”, a fictionalized account of the life and times of the young solo traveller;  “The Road to Sedona”, the story of a young family that heads up to Alaska to find work in the wake of 9/11; and recently, “The Sirens of Oak Creek”, a historical mystery spanning twelve centuries. Collectively, his novels have won eight national awards.

Currently, DeMayo resides in Hollis, N.H. and Sedona, AZ, with his wife Diana and three daughters Tavish Lee, Saydrin Scout, and Martika Louise.

 

Highlights

1988-9                Drove from New Hampshire to Panama (6 months).

1989 & 1994      Climbed the active Volcano Villarica (94) and newly erupted Pacaya (89)

1990 & 1996      One hundred and eighty mile trek in Nepal’s Annapurna Range (twice).

1991                   Two-week camel trek across India’s Thar Desert. *During the hot season.

1991-2               Hitchhiked from India to Bangkok to Sydney, and back (via Sumatra). (one year).

1994                  Ten pitch, technical climb of Mt. Kenya 17,052 ft. *1st time in a climbing harness.

1994                  Descended to the bottom level of South Africa’s deepest gold mine (7,800 ft.) **Crawled through 45 degree / 2 ft. wide shaft while drilling in progress.

1994 & 1997    Hitched from Nairobi to Lesotho (1994) & Malawi to Cape Town (1997)

1994                 One-week hike in the Virunga Volcanos to see Mountain Gorillas.

1995                 Two-week ascent of Argentina’s Mt. Aconcagua 22,829 ft./ 60 miles.

1995                 Taken hostage in Bolivian Amazon for 3 days by disgruntled indigenous group.

1995                 Kayaked 40 miles on Lake Malawi (1 week).

1998                 Canoed 50 miles in an open canoe on the Nenana River, AK

2001-4              Crossed North America five times (NH to AK to AZ) with a 9-mo. & 2 year old.

2006                 One month in Thailand with my parents (Pat & Ron) and my two daughters (Tavish & Scout), including rock climbing in Krabi.

2009                One month in southern India with my parents, wife and daughters, including bouldering and exploring the Visyanagar ruins by Hampi in Karnataka.

2003 – 15         Hiking and exploring the canyons of Sedona, Arizona and the Southwest.