ABOUT THE AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR

                                 ABOUT THE AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR

Born in Elyria, Ohio in the spring of 1970, an only child, R.M.J. spent his life being influenced by great stories. Whether it was science fiction and fantasy novels, superheroes in comics, or the great adventures of his favorite film heroes.

Drawing from the age of three, he always drifted toward the creative and imaginative. He greatly contributed to his middle school yearbook, involved himself in art classes, creative writing, and Drama Club in High School.

   After attending the Cincinnati Job-Corps Center and the University of Cincinnati for Commercial Art, he transferred to the Art Institute of Pittsburgh (AIP) and attained a degree in Animation and Multimedia. But daunted by the vanishing genre of traditional, hand-drawn animation and the struggles of succeeding as a professional artist, he moved to Las Vegas, Nevada where he became a professional caricature artist.

   Always captivated by British culture (from its long history and legends such as King Arthur and Robin Hood, British 1980’s pop music, films, television shows, and classic literature) he finally had a chance to visit the UK in 2004.  

   Inspired by London’s rich tapestry of history, parks, soaring architecture, and friendly people, he spent the next four years developing the history and characters that inhabit the world of Crescent Grey.

The result is the book that you now hold in your hands. Spitfire’s Grave is meant to be the first story in an intricately planned epic series about the girl Crescent Grey, her friends and adventures.