This is a recent picture of the author, taken at the Vietnam Veterans' Memorial at Angel Fire, New Mexico.

James was raised a rocket base kid in Las Cruces NM, the son of a rocket engineer and an artist. He was educated in geophysics at NM Tech, and then served as a helicopter gunship pilot with the US Army. He won the Distinguished Flying Cross in Vietnam, then pursued a varied career as a writer, actor, songwriter, smuggler, Forest Service pilot, airline pilot classroom instructor, junior editor of an occult publishing company, disciple to a fundamentalist prophet, sports book high roller, TV show producer, and other curious callings.

For a more comprehensive biography, click HERE.