Born in Chicago, Illinois on May 7, 1963, Michael grew up in the northwest suburban village of Wheeling. This is a small town located thirty minutes northwest of downtown Chicago. He spent his youth playing baseball, fishing in the creek behind his home, and hanging out with friends and family. A 1981 graduate of Wheeling High School, he participated in numerous activities and was a proud member of the award winning “Wildcat Marching Band and Wind Symphony.” Michael is also a devoted fan of the Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Angels and  his “die hard” commitment is unequalled.

In the mid-1980’s, Michael moved to the west coast to attend college. He earned Bachelor of Arts degrees in both Criminal Justice and History from the California State University, Fullerton. He also holds a post graduate degree in legal assistantship from the University of California, Irvine. He has worked as a juvenile probation officer, paralegal, regional loss prevention manager and commodities investor.

Inspired to write because of his love for history, he learned the basics of non-fiction writing from his college professors. He spent a year and a half writing his first book, Final Resting Places Orange County’s Dead and Famous and is currently working on his next two manuscripts Fade to Black: The Final Resting Places of the Academy Award Winners of the Golden Age of Hollywood and true crime stories of California.

Michael currently lives in Anaheim Hills, California with his wife Christyn, their three daughters, and two golden retrievers, Jake and Madison.

He is a member of the American Society of Journalists and Authors, the Southern California Writers Association, and the California Writers Club (Orange County branch).