Royal was born at Fort Lewis, Washington, the youngest of six children. He spent several of his formative years near Blackwater, Missouri, but has lived in Kansas, Washington, South Carolina, and, for all his adult life, in the Kansas City, Missouri metropolitan area. He worked in the Park Hill School district from 2003 to 2024 where he spent most of his career teaching Sixth Grade Reading and Writing. One of his favorite activities with students was reading to them. He holds several degrees, including a Bachelor of Education Degree from Missouri Western State University, a Master of Education Degree from Park University, and an Education Specialist Degree from Arkansas State University. He has been married since 1990 and he and his wife, Beth, have two adult sons, Ryan and Brandon, who visit often. He enjoys golf, camping, reading, writing, and traveling with Beth. They have visited 48 of the 50 states and Puerto Rico and have set a goal to visit the two remaining states, North Dakota and Wisconsin, by the end of 2026.