Writing under a pseudonym created from my first and middle names—a quiet tribute to my great-grandmother, Ms. Mattie Perkins Haywood (1879–1971), who is now walking in heaven with our Father. Sharing her name earned me a special place in my grandmother’s heart, and carrying it forward keeps her memory alive.
Born in Houston, Texas, back "when dinosaurs roamed the earth," I was raised partly in Lufkin, Texas, where I completed high school. My family later moved to Magnolia, Arkansas, where I attended Southern Arkansas University for three years before deciding to chart a different path.
In early 1978, I enlisted in the United States Air Force, embarking on a 25-year career specializing in Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) Defense. Beyond running service members through the gas chamber to prove their masks worked—a routine that didn't win us many popularity contests—I served as a first responder for aircraft and hazardous material incidents and worked as a Combat Developer.
Following an honorable retirement from active duty, I transitioned into government contracting with the Air Force before relocating to Stafford, Virginia, to work alongside federal material developers. By the end of this year, I will officially retire after nearly five decades of total federal service.
With my professional chapter coming to a close, I am turning my focus toward new adventures: pursuing the five fastest fish in the ocean, publishing my third book, cutting a record for an original song I wrote, and drafting a new story detailing my deployment to eastern Turkey 30 days prior to Operation Desert Storm.