J Jacobs's Biography

I have been writing professionally since 1956. I started out as a technical illustrator/writer for Butler Publications and progressed in that company through copywriting, advertising design, and editor over a couple of years. In the beginning our primary line of work was in aerospace for the government. Later, we branched out into commercial work. There came a hiatus in my writing of 28 years while I made my main income from naval architecture and yacht design, though I continued writing articles for trade and popular journals.

When I "retired" from naval architecture I moved into Mexico to teach the art and science of design in various small firms, taught English and German as second languages to engineers in larger firms in the automotive industry, and lectured on astronomy related topics in universities and societies. "Retiring for a second time," I moved to Hobbs, New Mexico, where I worked in the local high school teaching Science, English, Journalism, and astronomy to a limited degree. I never stopped writing.

I then "retired" for the third and final time to devote whatever remained of my life to writing fiction (my first love) and that is where I am today.