The author grew up on tobacco farms under the guardian of White Oak Mountain. After graduating from Renan High School, he left the farm working in a variety of jobs, including construction, sales, textiles, food service, and operated his own business. Being a believer in health and fitness, he pumps iron and runs. He currently spends his spare time riding Thunderbird, his Arabian--Spanish horse, training him for endurance racing. To the author, the south is more than a place; it’s a state of mind.