About John
Hi there. I'm a good, old-fashioned writer. I'll give it to you straight.
When I was a boy, my mother gave me a pen and a notebook, back when kids could be occupied with such things. When she came back, I'd filled it up already. And I was off.
I started out as a newspaper reporter. In the late 2000s, I was editor of my high school paper, The Red Devil Advocate. I graduated with a bachelor's degree in journalism from Elon University, and began my career at the Hickory Daily Record, where I covered crime and politics in the Carolina foothills. One day, I gave it up and moved across the country to be with the woman I loved. It worked. We got married.
Then, I found my way as a newspaper refugee. I earned a master's from the school of hard knocks and did odd jobs to keep the lights on. I worked at a chocolate factory, designed a cosmetics catalog, and eventually found a lane as a ghostwriter and copywriter. In my last stop, I ran marketing at a startup.
Today, I'm a husband and a dad with stories to tell. I recently finished writing my first novel and I take on freelance writing projects. There are two ways to keep up with my writing: I have an email newsletter you can sign up for here, or feel free to grab the RSS feed.
Charlotte is my home and I live out in the country. I have two gardens: one with birds and veggies outside my office window and the digital one you're looking at now.
Thanks for being here and be good to yourself.
— J.T.
Fun facts
My writing has appeared in The Charlotte Observer, Hickory Daily Record, and other publications in the Southeast. Also as a ghostwriter, my work has appeared many wonderful places that serve as one of life's sweet mysteries.
I'm an Eagle Scout. For my project, I built two bocce courts for a local school to use for the Special Olympics. The Boy Scouts of America had a positive impact on my upbringing.
The Carolina Panthers started in 1995, which means I grew up alongside the team. I’ve been a lifelong fan through thick and thin. Ice up, son.
Check, one, two. I'm a Christian and often run the soundboard at my church.
Music and other projects
Music is one of my great loves, and I've put some out over the years. I was in a band in college called Pete From Shipping. I sang lead and played guitar. Here's our single "Bobblehead Jesus."
I still write and record songs from time to time. The most polished tracks are under the moniker Beyond Confused.
I contributed to the story of Saving Satoshi, an open-source video game that teaches players about software development.
Colophon
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