James was born in Lismore, New South Wales, Australia, in 1966, where he lived until graduating from Southern Cross University at the age of 34. Before his degree in Information Technology, he worked as a shop assistant, storeman, and bookkeeper in various businesses. He loves whiskey and football — the roundball version; according to him, the only true version. 

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Upon graduating in 2000, James moved to Brisbane to begin his career as a software engineer, where he still works today. However, during 2013, he took a 3-month sabbatical and completed a Graduate Certificate in Creative Industries (Creative Writing) at Queensland University of Technology (QUT).

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He hasn't stopped writing since.