I was born in Oak Park, IL, in the summer of 1953, on an extremely hot and muggy day. My family lived northwest suburbs of Chicago, which was a quiet place. We had few neighbors with farmland as far as the eye could see. As time passed, the farms disappeared and the tar-covered roads became blacktop. More families moved into the area and we became a neighborhood. That is where I grew up, went to school, and in 1972 graduated high school. By then, the neighborhood was sprawling with 7- Elevens and video stores.

Conveniences stores were important in a young person’s life. You could buy a hot dog and drink for $2 and gas was 35¢/gallon. Minimum wage was about $3.50/hour, the work was dull and the idea of a future appeared dim. I was young and the Vietnam War was coming to an end. Instead of going to college, a friend and I bought a van and headed for Alaska. The trip opened my eyes to the vastness of this beautiful country. After enduring a blizzard and getting snowed in for 3 days, we looked forward to getting off the gravel road. We spent 6 months working odd jobs before the journey ended. I returned home and began a job working 12-hour shifts six days a week. After two years, I called it quits. It was now 1974, and I was at a start-up company making computer cash registers. The janitor explained the gift of salvation to me and with help from his pastor, I accepted Christ as my Savior.

A short time later I was searching for a new direction. I began shooting weddings and portraits for different studios around the area. At this same time the pastor contacted me and encouraged me to go to Bible College/Seminary. I was reluctant, but I did go and my faith grew. I became grounded in my faith and graduated with a degree in Biblical Studies. I met my wife, Cora, got married and two years later celebrated the birth of my daughter, Tamra.

The idea for this book came when picking up my daughter after school. On our rides home I shared the story of David and his adventure to Papa’s Island. The story excited my daughter so, that she said, “Papa, you should write it down.” It began as a simple child’s story and now we have a young adult’s novel for you to enjoy. The journey itself has been a laborious one. One of love and heartache, for many a change, has taken place along the way; for no journey is a simple one. That is about all I can say. I’ll leave it for you to decide.