After growing up at the northern tip of Lake Washington, and then São Paulo, Brazil, and finally East Lansing, Michigan, he graduated from Michigan State University in 1969, attended the MFA in English program at Bowling Green State University, went to Lindos, Greece after the May 4, 1970 Kent State University massacre for a winter below one of the largest acropolis in Greece and the The Castle of the Knights of St John (built before before 1317) and years later, got an MFA in English from the University of Massachusetts.
Roy has worked a number of different jobs. In the early 70s, he worked as a carpenter in Marin County, California. He spent 12 years at the Metropolitan Opera as a union stage hand in the Property Department working both shows and rehearsals. And then, after moving to the "mountains" of western Massachusetts, he spent 20 years teaching English and Communications as an Assistant Professor at Springfield College in Massachusetts. There he taught a number of English courses including Creative Writing, different Literature Courses, Basic Desktop Publishing, and Web Design. After retirement, he spent a year living in Montpellier, France. And he now lives in Golden, Colorado.
His published books include Winter Lightning, Grand Portage, and Prison Break.