Born in Newcastle on Tyne, England John lead a pretty boring early life. He lived in a Buddhist monastery, a civilized place with no electricity, no phone, no flush toilet, stone slab floors and a ...view moreBorn in Newcastle on Tyne, England John lead a pretty boring early life. He lived in a Buddhist monastery, a civilized place with no electricity, no phone, no flush toilet, stone slab floors and a water supply which ran down a field in an open ditch. When he was sent to boarding school he accidentally set fire to it. He became a chemistry teacher but was frustrated by not being allowed to do all the interesting experiments. He changed to teaching computers in the early 80s and was delighted to find they would do exactly what they were told (unlike his pupils.)
He met his wife Shelia in an Internet chat room in 1997 - see it does work sometimes! They had problems with UK and US immigration departments and spent three years as illegal immigrants in Canada where they earned a living designing web pages. That was followed by six years of teaching in London before returning to the North to pursue a career in writing. view less