J.Z. O'Brien was born and raised in the high-country, ranching community of North Park, Colorado, where his fondness for wide-open spaces began. Serving in the Marines for eight years, sailing from Maine to Seattle, pedaling a bicycle from Galveston, Texas to Vancouver, Canada and back, J.Z. has been on some interesting detours while pursuing his romance with empty expanses; all at the mercy of the weather.

Currently, J.Z. and his wife, Cheryl, live in California during the winter months and Grand Junction, Colorado for the rest of the year, as he realizes his life-long goal of writing stories. Surviving Abe, as his debut novel, will be followed by other adventure stories.