Austin Haynes grew up dreaming of the sea. His childhood heroes included Sea Hunt character Mike Nelson, and famed ocean explorer Jacques-Yves Cousteau. Austin's 25 years SCUBA and hardhat diving experience began as a marine biology student in Rhode Island, continued as a Navy second-class diver, and then as a sport diver on the West Coast. He has dived cliffs, caves, wrecks, and reefs in seven seas including the Mediterranean and Red seas. Austin's passion for Civil War naval history and many years educating and entertaining the general public as a Civil War reenactor inspired the story of Ironclad Gold, a tale of treachery, theft, murder and a legendary ironclad warship - and the sequel to his debut novel, The Queen of Kings. A former resident of the Old North State - who now calls South Florida home with his wife, Patty - Austin is up with the coffee pot again and drumming up the next history shaking, ocean archaeology adventure for Dr. Frank and Charley Morgan, and Charley's adopted Egyptian-born son, Qeb.