I first took an interest in writing when I was a senior in high school, and my English teacher told me that I had some ability. After writing several short stories and failing to sell any of them, I turned to nonfiction. My maternal grandparents, who had lived through two world wars and the Great Depression, sparked my interest in history. My grandmother was an especially gifted storyteller. I began writing short articles on local and regional history, and eventually broadened the scope of my topics. While working fulltime as a municipal firefighter in Manchester, NH, I used my days off to write. I worked as a part-time reporter for weekly newspapers, wrote freelance pieces for regional and national magazines, and grappled unsuccessfully with book-length works of fiction and nonfiction. Upon deciding to change careers and pursue graduate study in history, I spent many years writing almost exclusively academic material. However, when it came to books, I always sought to reach the broadest possible audience. In the little free time I had, I also began a novel, which became Tim Cratchit's Christmas Carol. It follows the publication of seven history books that I have authored, co-authored, or edited.

My history book Three Peoples, One King: Loyalists, Indians, and Slaves in the Revolutionary South, was a finalist for three major book prizes. A subsequent book, Cool Deliberate Courage: John Eager Howard in the American Revolution (co-authored with John Beakes) was a finalist for the Army Historical Foundation Book Prize.