A native of Madison, Tennessee, Tony spent his teenage years on a farm about 10 miles southeast of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Although he had dreamed of being a writer since childhood, it was only after a brief career as a university administrator that he actually took the plunge. Initially, he was awarded an undergraduate degree in history from Tennessee Technological University. Later, he received his MA degree in English/Creative Writing at Texas A&M University at Commerce in December 1991. Since then, he has been constantly on the move and in print.

Tony has visited some 30 countries, living in six -- Japan, Kuwait, Poland, the Marshall Islands, Macedonia, and England. During his tenure in the Middle East, he was close to members of Hezbollah and actually attended a Spring 1997 fundraiser for the Taliban. He also served as the founding chairperson of the Overseas Security Advisory Council--Kuwait, a non-profit, State Department-sponsored consortium of representatives from the various segments of the American expatriate community, exchanging security information and working closely with the Regional Security Office at the U.S. Embassy in planning for civilian evacuations. His third novel, The Trouble With Patriots, grew out of this experience.

He sailed aboard the USS Tortuga (LSD-46) from Norfolk, VA to the Horn of Africa during its 2002-2003 deployment in preparation for the War with Iraq. He stood the bridge of the American warship, serving as an unofficial Arab linguist, during the ship's transits through the Straits of Gibraltar, the Suez Canal, and the Bab al Mendab Straits off the coast of Yemen.

His eclectic tastes are demonstrated by the diverse magazines and publications that have printed his articles and stories: Insight on the News at the Washington Times, Accuracy in Media, Civil War Times Illustrated, Appalachian Heritage, The Christian Reader, Cats Magazine, The Chronicle of Higher Education, Buffalo Spree, and Archaeology among many others. Frequently, he has collaborated with Charles C. Thompson II, a former producer at CBS' 60 Minutes and a founding producer of ABC's 20/20. Their work on Tennessee political and law enforcement corruption has been lauded across the nation. Many of their articles have been picked up and reprinted by Free Republic and The Progressive Review. Tony's articles on the Taliban, Al-Qaida, and Saudi Arabia have been reprinted or reported on by organizations as varied as the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Spanish television.

In 2003, Tony decided to return to his roots, historical mysteries. His efforts have not gone unrewarded. An active member of Mystery Writers of America and the Appalachian Writer's Association, Tony is the author of five novels, four historical mysteries and a contemporary satire, The Trouble With Patriots, set in the Middle East and released in 2002 by Bridge Works Press. It has now been optioned for film. His first novel, Murder on the Twelfth Night, was nominated for the Tennessee Volunteer Book Award.

With the critically-acclaimed release of Tony's first Dark Ages mystery, The Killing Way, from Tor/Forge in 2009, he is now under contract for three more volumes in this series. The Killing Way, set against the murky background of Dark Ages Britain, received coveted starred reviews from Publishers Weekly and Library Journal and glowing praise from Booklist, Kirkus, Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine, the Historical Novel Society Book Review, and many more.  The second volume, The Divine Sacrifice, is set for release on March 30, 2010 and has already received starred reviews from Publishers Weekly and Library Journal.

Tony at the equator in the Indian Ocean

With TAMU-Commerce students and faculty in 2002

Discussing The Killing Way at Clues Unlimited in Tucson, AZ

With Geoffrey Ashe at Glastonbury Abbey