Michael Stafford was raised in southern Illinois. His books are a reflection of the small towns, swamps, lakes, and scenic sites that make up this largely unknown area of Illinois, located at its southernmost tip. Stafford accepted a basketball scholarship to Washington University and later played football and baseball at SIUC. After earning an MBA degree in 1969, he was drafted into the Vietnam War. Upon returning he entered the banking industry only to eventually leave it to become one of the early developers of laptop computers. He owned several small businesses and began his writing career in 2010. He lives in central Indiana with his wife Susie and Scout, his beloved hound.