I’ve spent most of my working life writing stories. As my bank of magazine features, news stories, and in-depth profiles piled up, I always wondered if I would, or could, ever write a novel.

After failing at my first attempt, I figured the answer was no. Maybe I just wasn’t cut out to write fiction. As a young teen, I’d devoured every new Wilbur Smith book I could get my hands on. Then Hemingway got ahold of me. Hunter S. Thompson exhilarated me. Nabokov dazzled me. Raymond Carver floored me. Tom Clancy captivated me. And John Grisham filled me with awe.

After writing three non-fiction books, I decided to turn once more to my first literary love: fiction. I wanted to find out, once and for all, if I could produce the kind of gripping novel I loved to read. Between a full-time job and being a hands-on dad, I used every stolen moment I could find to write my first novel. It took me a year and a lot of hard work but it proved worth it: my debut novel Force of Justice became a bestseller, hitting #1 on Amazon’s Pulp Thrillers chart.

Now, with eight novels spread over two different series, I have to pinch myself to believe that I get to write fiction for a living.

When I’m not at my laptop trying to map out the next book or to reach my daily word count, I love nothing better than hitting the trails on my mountain bike, or the surf to share in my children’s joy at catching waves.

J.J. Miller Author