Daniel M. White was born in 1938 in New York City. He graduated from the United States Coast Guard Academy in 1962. He served as the commanding officer of Loran Station Iwo Jima 1965-1966. After military service he spent thirty years in the high-tech industry. He worked for both IBM and Apple Computer. He is retired and lives in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

His hobbies include writing, traveling, golf, gardening, bridge, and amateur hypnosis. He is married and has three grown daughters, five grandchildren and two great grandchildren.