J.D. was born in Belfast at the start of the Troubles, and began writing stories at a young age to help understand the madness unfolding around him. A lover of reading, he devoured a diverse range of books – his early influences include Fleming, Tolkien, Shakespeare and the Brontës.
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He left Belfast at the age of nineteen and worked as a chef, bartender, waiter and later began a career in writing for the software industry.
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These days he divides his time between Brighton and London, where he lives with his partner and their two dogs.