About the author
As a young boy growing up in Ames, Iowa, Mike was
athletic, super competitive and adventurous (to a
fault) ... When Mike reached his teenage years,
athletics faded away, adventurousness continued
and a rebellious streak kicked in. He remained a good
student, yet the contrarian in him often sent things
sideways ... His college years were tumultuous. He
spent a semester at the university of Wyoming before
being "asked not to return." From there he attended
Southern Illinois University, where he excelled as a
student ad a rebel. He participated strongly in the
Vietnam War protests and, unfortunately, was
drafted into the US Army during his second semester
at SIU. He and the army did not see eye to eye ... Mike
continued his adult life as a rebel and an adventurer.
He tried SIU a second time, then left and went into the
construction business, married, and spent time in
California and Texas. Although he always found his
way back to the Chicago area, he was often planning
the next road trip. Music, camping, and parties were
mainstays on his docket. He was a writer, musician,
cook and dog lover, but serious bouts of depression
haunted him ... Mike packed a lot into his life. His
surviving family members and friends just wish he
would have given this world more of a chance. Where
the Rivers Meet is the posthumous publication of the
novel that he completed before his early death.