Howard G. Franklin was born in St. Joe, Missouri, in 1940. Raised in Los Angeles, he received his B.S. in Real Estate and Finance from the University of Southern California, and his J.D. from the University of California, Berkeley.

From 1968 to 1988, Howard served as a Deputy Public Defender for Los Angeles County, was engaged in the private practice of law, and became a partner in F & F Investment Company.

An avid sports enthusiast, Howard has been "learning to play tennis" since he was seven, and he is fervently devoted to baseball and his beloved Seattle Mariners with a religious zeal inherited from his childhood hero, Grampy Max.

It is family, however, that truly centers his life, and he frequently travels to Los Angeles to visit with his Mom and Dad, two sisters, and assorted nephews and nieces—not to forget for a second, his daughter, Amy, who lives in Long Beach with her husband Chris, and is pursuing a career in music therapy. He is also the proud father of two sons, Matthew, who is a vice-president for a property management company, and Nicholas, who is employed in the hotel field—both of whom share his love of athletics.

In 1991, after the untimely death of his second wife, Patty, Howard moved to Portland, Oregon—where amidst the joys and trauma of single parenting Matt and Nick, he began writing full time.

His short stories and poetry have appeared on radio, in newspapers, and numerous national magazines and literary journals such as A Different Drummer, Razem, the Lake Oswego Review, The Sandwich Generation, Silver Quill, Nomad's Choir, Single Vision, and Poets and Work. He also has appeared as a guest poet in Poetspeak's Reading Series at Portland State University, and in the Northwest Coalition's celebration of National Poetry Month in Vancouver, Washington.

An Irish Experience is Howard's first published book, and combining both his lifelong love of the written word with his unswerving passion for Ireland, represents for him the realization of a dream. In addition, for those who love a generous portion of magic topping success's sundae, Inkwater Press's decision to publish An Irish Experience arrived on Howard's last birthday during a meeting in which he was also introduced to the editor, Linda Weinerman, who strongly shaped the idea of public birth.

Their instant connection soon produced far more than literary sparks, leading to a romance that can only be classified as a real-life fairytale. Engaged, with their wedding date set for June 15, 2008, the inseparable couple is currently hard at work polishing Howard's courtroom novel, Gideon's Children, for future publication, while sharing life with his three children, as well as Linda's daughter, Wendy, and her fiancé, Chris.

And the honeymoon?…

Where else? Ireland.