I was born in England, raised in Texas, Hawai`i and Guam, and have found the home of my heart on the island of Maui. I moved to Hawaii in 1959 with my family (Dad was a newspaper man who covered events like volcano eruptions and tsunamis on the Big Island), and my life was transformed. Imagine living in a jungle, swimming along Hilo's reefs, and watching record-breaking lava fountains after a childhood spent in a suburb on the edge of the Texas desert! I formed a lifelong love of Hawaii, its music, culture and people.

I moved to Maui in 1968, lived in the country raising goats, chickens and vegetables, then went to work for an alternative weekly newspaper. That led to a job at the Maui News, where I worked for 18 years, covering every aspect of Maui life. Since 1998, I've been a free-lance writer specializing in Maui and the history of Hawaii. My books include Haleakala: A History of the Maui Mountain, Exploring Historic Upcountry, The Spirit Lives On: A History of Old Maui High at Hamakuapoko and several collaborations with other writers.