Danny Cantrell is a life-long resident of the Appalachian region. He has worked in both the coal mining industry and in higher education. He holds an associate degree in mining engineering technology, the bachelors and masters' degrees in English, and the Ed.D. in leadership studies in higher education administration. His hobbies include travel, reading, watching TV dramas, listening to a wide variety of music, and photography. He and his wife, Connie, reside in Cabell County, West Virginia with a Peter Pan dog, four loving cats, and more books and magazines than 10 normal households should contain.