JOHN'S background
A lawyer and entrepreneur, John and his wife, Laura, reside in Atlanta, Georgia. They have three adult children. An avid reader, John dabbled with writing while in high school at The Lawrenceville School and at the University of Virginia. He published an article on The Strategic Defense Initiative while at the University of Georgia School of Law. He began writing in his free time in the 90s. Longstreet Press published his first novel, Runaway, a technothriller about global warming, in 2001.
John enjoys golf, fishing, tennis, photography and kayaking. He is a member of Northside United Methodist Church, Broadleaf Writers Association and the Bonefish Tarpon Trust. One of nine children, John grew up with an appreciation of family and an avid interest in sports. John’s father, the late Dan Topping, owned the New York Yankees for 22 years, winning 15 pennants and 10 World Series. His stepfather, the late Rankin Smith, owned the Atlanta Falcons.
john's favorite books
lord of the rings
by J.R.R. Tolkien
In the Fantasy genre, Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings is an all-time favorite. One of the most popular books of all time. Enough said.
Additional favorites:
The Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling
The Earthsea Trilogy by Ursula K. LeGuin
foundation trilogy
by isaac asimov
In the Science Fiction genre, Isaac Asimov's Foundation Trilogy is a classic and worth the read. My favorite of Asimov's work.
Additional favorites:
Dune by Frank Herbert
Childhood's End by Arthur C. Clarke
the hunger games
by suzanne collins
In the Young Adult genre, The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins is one of my favorites. Great characters and action.
Additional favorites:
Percy Jackson and the Olympians series by Rick Riordan
Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
recent reads - See blog
I recently finished reading Circe by Madeline Miller. Great book steeped in Greek mythology. Rated as one of the top fantasy books of all time. Since Circe is a minor character in my sequel to Legacy, I waited to start reading the book until after I wrote my scenes with Circe.
I have added a Blog page that will include my recent reads. I have read a number of great books since finishing Circe.
Contact
I love to hear from my readers. Please feel free to email me questions or comments.