Mario A. Gutierrez: In 1997, Mario served in the Unites States Marine Corps when while on leave, he was accused of committing a crime along with his brother Hugo E. Gutierrez. This incident spiraled a series of life changing events and marked the beginning of a very different life for Mario. In 2000, Mario was found guilty of the crime and was sentenced to five years in prison of which he served three due to good behavior. While incarcerated, Mario came to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ and accepted Him as Lord and Savior of his life. A decision that by his own admission would have never taken place had he never been incarcerated. Behind bars, Mario took a special interest in the story of David and dissected the scriptures along with commentaries and books to gain a better understanding of it.
It was there that, with no writing experience under his belt but driven by a deep passion and creativity, he began to write the first chapters of his novel The Mighty Men of King David. In 2002, Mario was released from prison and he joined the local fellowship at Templo Bautista Hispano in the City of Perris, CA where he currently serves as a youth leader, Deacon, and sound director. He also serves at a local prison ministry. In 2007 he married Arleth and they currently reside in Moreno Valley, CA. Hugo E. Gutierrez: In 1999 and at age 18 Hugo became what society would consider "scum." He was arrested and charged with assault and was sentenced to a California State Correctional Facility where he is currently serving a 21 year sentence. During the first years of his incarceration Hugo came to feet of Jesus and accepted Him as Lord and Savior of his life.
He understood that God had a better life for him, even behind bars. Hugo is heavily involved in the editing process of the novel The Mighty Men of King David. He and his brother Mario have developed an unconventional editing process in which Mario writes the rough drafts, mails them to Hugo in prison for editing and finally makes the corrections indicated by Hugo when the edited copy is received in the mail. Hugo serves the Lord in prison both in the Spanish and English ministry, encouraging and teaching prisoners that they can reach their full potential in life when they come to know Jesus as Lord and Savior no matter what their circumstances are. Hugo's family eagerly awaits his release in 2016.