Sammy Maida hails from the shores of mighty Lake Superior; Duluth, Minnesota. A multiple tour veteran of the USAF his travels around the world have given him insight into the places and things not talked about at cocktail parties. His interest in history led him to the University of Minnesota Duluth and the University of Wisconsin Superior and is a former member of the St. Louis County Historical Society. An avid model maker, classic car collector and area historian, he is also a professional musician playing with many of the top bands in Northern Minnesota. In 2025, he was inducted into the Mid America Music Hall of Fame. Now retired, he lives across the bay from his hometown of West Duluth in Superior, Wisconsin. His first book, Project: 211 was published in 2022 and he is currently writing its sequel, has a working draft in place for the third Jim Casey adventure novel, and another story to be released later.