I was born in the midst of a great blizzard during the winter of 1981. My mother and father did what they could for my two sisters and me, but they still managed to be poor swine farmers in the countryside of western Iowa. At the age of seventeen I decided to see what the world had to show me so I signed my name and raised my hand to join the U.S. Army. I have been taken to combat as an Infantryman for three tours-of-duty and served a total of 4 years in the Middle East. Sixteen years I have served my nation, now as a member of the National Guard in Iowa. I was married, divorced, made a father, lost the ones I loved, and gained ones I love now. In 2012 I met a woman that lit a fire inside of me that I had never felt before. To her I give all the credit to my creative endeavors. I plan to continue my efforts towards my creative writing and hope to encourage fellow writers down their creative path.