Born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio, Rafael joined the U.S. Air Force and was honorably discharged four years later. After serving in Texas, Korea, and California, he settled in San Francisco and attended Academy of Art University, where he earned his BFA in Advertising.

Rafael spent his first three years as an advertising copywriter creating memorable TV, radio, and print ads for such blue chip clients as Nissan, Bank of America, Southwestern Bell, and many more.

Searching for new challenges, Rafael took a year off his career to teach English as a second language (ESL) in Hiroshima, Japan. He then returned to the Bay Area and the world of advertising copywriting, continuing to teach ESL at a local university part-time. It was at that moment that Rafael decided to expand his writing talents and begin writing screenplays, columns, and novels.

Rafael's first historical fiction novel, The Lion's Brood: The Story of Hannibal, was published in April 2004. His second novel, Beyond Mali, was published in 2006. He is currently working on Book Two of The Lion's Brood Trilogy and a work of modern fiction.