1.He published his debut young adult work, The Magnificent Mitscher, in 1955, following his military service in World War II.
2.Born and raised in Statesville, North Carolina, he later lived and worked in Washington, D.C., New York City, and Laguna Beach, California. He was married to Gweneth Goodwin from 1946 until 1970 and to Flora Schoenleber from 1981 until his death in 2006.
3.When not writing novels, he pursued a career as a singer and also worked as a journalist.