He’d scribble down ideas whenever he could and often work on manuscripts during his lunch hour amidst a chorus of barking dogs and meowing cats.īut eventually, after impressing the judges of the Maui Writers’ Conference in Hawaii in 1998, he got his first big break with his debut novel Wit’ch Fire, under the pen name James Clemens.įrom then on, there was no stopping him, and he eventually earned enough money from his books to step down from his veterinary practice and dedicate himself to writing full time. Yet, although his career was rewarding, the long hours at his busy clinic didn’t leave much time to explore his passion for writing. So, after leaving school, he headed to the University of Missouri to study veterinary medicine.Īfter graduating, he set up a successful practice in Sacramento, California, and for the next fifteen years, he dedicated himself to helping sick and injured animals.

These iconic characters and tales of adventure inspired him to follow in the footsteps of his literary idols, and he knew from an early age that he’d become a writer one day.īut Rollins had another fascination outside of the world of heroes and villains he loved animals. Born in 1961 as James Paul Czajkowski, James Rollins grew up in a large Roman Catholic family in a blue-collar suburb of Chicago.Īs a child, he was captivated by the sci-fiction stories of H.G Wells and Jules Verne and idolized classic pulp magazine heroes such as Doc Savage, The Shadow, and The Avenger.

James rollins the starless crown review