Don Gladden Author

Michael Stafford was raised in southern Illinois. His books are a reflection of the small towns, swamps, lakes, and scenic sites that make up this largely unknown area of Illinois, located at its southernmost tip. Stafford accepted a basketball scholarship to Washington University and later played football and baseball at SIUC. After earning an MBA degree in 1969, he was drafted into the Vietnam War. Upon returning he entered the banking industry only to eventually leave it to become one of the early developers of laptop computers. He owned several small businesses and began his writing career in 2010. He lives in central Indiana with his wife Susie and Scout, his beloved hound. Don Gladden, a product of rural southern Illinois, had an experience with Jesus and accepted Him as his Savior when he was nine years old. He attended Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, on athletic (football) and academic scholarships. Receiving a degree in Management/Finance, he continued in graduate school in Administration while working at the University. Feeling called to serve, he pastored a small country church in the early ’70s. This experience established his hunger for more understanding of the truths of the Bible. A journey of management positions in several industries (trucking, health care, public accounting, long-term care) prepared him for a 25-year career in Christian broadcasting. His two years in radio and twenty-three years in television exposed him to the reality of Satan’s continual attempt to shut down God’s move to bring Heaven to earth. He has experienced first-hand the power of intercessory prayer in the broadcast arena.