I was born in Toppenish, Washington, into a family of fifteen brothers and sisters. My formative years were spent in labor camps throughout the Pacific Northwest. I served in the US Air Force as a crew chief on a KC-135A Tanker. After the military, I attended Spokane Falls Community College in Spokane, Washington, and Eastern Washington State College in Cheney, Washington. My undergraduate studies were in history, sociology, and anthropology. My graduate studies were in counseling. I live with my wife, Kendra, who suffers from Alzheimer's on ten acres in rural Sedro Woolley, Washington. I'm retired from my counseling practice and now spend my time writing, interviewing my siblings, and rummaging through our shared past in search of stories to tell. I'm a storyteller who writes.