[close] James R. Strickland has been telling stories since before he could read or write. By a long and circuitous route, through mandatory journal-keeping in high school, this led to an English Writing degree in 1990, and the pursuit of a master's degree in Communications from 1990 through 1993. Taking a break from graduate school, Strickland moved to the San Francisco Bay Area - nerdvana - to pursue a career in high tech, as well as his then-girlfriend-now-wife. Six years later, after a layoff in high tech, and before the credits all expired, Strickland completed his master's degree.

Despite working in high tech, and especially during the periods of unemployment common to high tech workers, Strickland wrote, mostly for the consumption of fellow role playing gamers. He sold nothing, never had any intention of selling anything. After completing a CCNA certification in 2002 in a vain attempt to gain employment in a down economy, Strickland wrote his first novel for National Novel Writing Month, and the whole dream of being a writer began to reawaken. Strickland has two published novels, Looking Glass, and Irreconcilable Differences. More are coming.

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