I was born in Jacksonville, Illinois in 1945. Following my grandmother's interest in our family history, I became absorbed in genealogy from the traces of information that she gathered over the years. Digging for family history became a passion. It lead to years of research and learning the issues of the times and places of my Scot-Irish ancestors. Many of them traversed The Great Pennsylvania Wagon Road south to North Carolina and Virginia in the early 18th century and found their way to Greene and Morgan Counties in Illinois.

I wrote The Scot-Irish Experience in 2008. An Irish Mermaid Tale and Mystic Highland Legend followed in 2009. In 2011 Rich Man's War Poor - Man's Fight which chronicles the lives of young Irish immigrants conscripted in the war between the states and the conflicts that they faced. It was published by Father's Press in 2011. Stepping away from Irish history, I wrote Borderland War in 2011. It was also published in 2011.

I have a passion for Norse- Scot / Irish legends of the Mermaid (Irish Mur'uch) and tales of the Vikings who lived peacefully among them. Since tales of fantasy are a totally different genre than historic fiction and contemporary crime, I began writing under the pseudonym Daniel McTavish.

I am a Greene County, Illinois native, a 1972 graduate of Southern Illinois University, English / History programs, a Viet Nam Veteran of 1967-68 and a retired mid-level airline operations manager.

I live with my wife Jean in Kimberling City, Missouri, on beautiful Table Rock Lake.