The Zaca Creek author is a common man that grew up on a Midwest farm in Indiana. After University, he was an educator and coach of young people aspiring to find their way into a life of independence as productive citizens. After moving to California during a recession with limited professional opportunities, he created a family business of design and build. The experiences with government and economics were the fertile ground for the stories told in this fictional Zaca Creek novel. California is a diverse culture of industrious, creative people. The shores and harbors of the Channel Islands near Santa Barbara inspired this story of the Chinese invasion escaping the 13TH Century hordes of Genghis Khan that blended into magnificent Chumash Nation. He has five sons that share DNA from Mom and Dad. Observing the patterns of each son with ancestral influence led to an interest in family ancestry.