Austin Haynes

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 love of the sea embraces his passion for history. Maritime ancient Egypt and his enduring curiosity about what really happened to the dead Queen Cleopatra VII Philopater were the impetus waking Austin at 3:30 AM each morning before work to write his debut novel, The Queen of Kings.

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, and again he found himself pecking away in the pre-dawn hours to wend a tale of treachery, theft, murder and a legendary ironclad warship - and the sequel to The Queen of Kings.

But the early hours can become addictive to creativity, and once again our former resident of the Old North State - who now calls South Florida home with his wife, Patty - is up with the coffee pot and drumming up the next history shaking, ocean archaeology adventure for Dr. Frank and Charley Morgan, and Charley’s adopted Egyptian-born son, Qeb.