David Bethel, formerly of GSA, vies to be the next John Grisham

J. David Bethel, who retired from government in 2009 – his final position was associate administrator of the Office of Citizen Services at the General Services Administration – has launched a second career as a fiction author.

Through his own publishing company, Two Dog Publishing, he recently published "Evil Town," a political thriller set in Washington D.C. and the Florida Everglades. The book is available electronically for the Amazon Kindle and the Barnes & Noble Nook.

Bethel, who now lives in Miami, said retirement from the government gave him a resource he previously had not had – time.

"I've always written fiction and have had a number of short stories published," he said. "I wanted to try my hand at writing a novel but the prospect was too daunting when I was working full time. I did create the framework for Evil Town while working in DC, and when I retired (semi-retired really) I decided to complete the novel."

Eight months after self-publishing the book, Bethel reports he has sold a few hundred copies. That is "not overwhelming, but I've attracted the attention of a couple of literary agents who are considering taking the book on for representation," he said. "And the reviews have been excellent so that is satisfying."

As Bethel watches the progress of Evil Town, he’s also working on two other novels – another Washington, DC-based thriller and a crime story inspired by true events.