Meet the Author

Merle Gray Daniels is a second generation native of the picturesque state of Colorado. Growing up amidst so much natural beauty helped him develop a love for the outdoors and nature.   

From an early age, Merle exhibited an uncanny ability to draw people in with his stories. As he grew up, his passion for history helped him to develop a style of taking historical events and making up stories about people and events that took place in the setting.  Some of his favorite authors who influenced his writing style are GA Henty, George RR Martin, and JRR Tolkien. His writing style focuses on both perspective and vision, which he calls “The Full Human Experience”.  

As a child, Merle took piano and classical bass lessons. By the time he was in high school, it had developed into a full-blown passion. He was playing in several orchestras and ensembles. What started out as a basic understanding of music grew into one of the things he most enjoys. He has gone on to learn to play several other instruments and even composes his own music.  

Merle also enjoys sports. In high school he competed on both the swim team and basketball team. As an adult he still enjoys swimming. He has replaced competitive basketball with competitive pinball and bowling.  

After high school graduation, Merle went on to higher education. He studied at a couple of local community colleges and received an Associate of General Studies degree. He then transferred to a local state university and began studying Civil Engineering. After a couple of semesters, it became apparent that Civil Engineering was not for him. He switched his major to Chemistry, then Physics, then to Computer Science, then Mathematics. With each field of study, he realized that he had no passion. At that point, he decided he needed a change. He went from working in a factory to working at a restaurant. He finally discovered something he was good at and loved doing. He transferred to his schools’ Hospitality Department and changed his major to Restaurant Management.   

Merle had never thought of writing a book until a friend encouraged him to write down some of his stories. Working two jobs and going to school didn’t leave much free time; however, he decided to give it a try. It was slow going, but he started his first book. Then COVID-19 shut the world down. He was laid off both jobs and in person classes were cancelled. Finally, he had time to dedicate to book writing. His first completed work is Of Knights and Heroes, The Colors of War.