A native of Memphis, Tennessee and a graduate of Duke University and the Pasadena Playhouse, the author was a photographer for four years in the U. S. Navy.  He spent 14 years in banking and 22 in the hospitality field.  His first two novels, Never and Coast Walk, were published in 2002; the third, WindanSea, in 2003; and the latest, Tanto, in 2006.  Since 1968 he's lived in La Jolla, California, which is the main setting for all of his stories.

A year after graduation from Memphis Tech High, he joined the navy on the day following the start of the Korean War. In “Boot Camp” he was chosen Honorman of his company by fellow recruits, went to Airman School in Memphis, then to the Naval School of Photography in Pensacola, Florida. He served aboard the battleship New Jersey on the staff of Admiral Martin, Commander of the Seventh Fleet, before spending 13 months at North Island Naval Base in San Diego. The last two years in the navy were spent at Ford Island in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, where he received a letter of commendation from the Chief of Naval Operations for his photographic work. He also attended night classes at the University of Hawaii.

With the G.I. Bill, Regenold graduated from Duke University where he was president of the Duke Players, the student theatrical group. He then attended the Pasadena Playhouse where he won the Faculty Scholarship and graduated cum laude.

As a branch manager in banking at Ocean Beach, California, he was president of the Kiwanis Club and won first place in the National Public Speaking Contest for the American Institute of Banking. Later, while working at the Empress Hotel of La Jolla, he was chosen from 30,000 hotel employees in San Diego County, as Employee of the Year.

When he stopped working about 1999, he began working toward a goal he’s had since the age of 21: writing a novel.