Tell us about yourself.:
I grew up in a town in Texas of about a hundred thousand. I played sports, hunted, and fished until I went to college in Dallas at SMU. I majored in Biology and went to the University of Texas Southwestern Medical also in Dallas. I water skied then discovered snow skiing in college. I already loved sailing, so I spent all my spare time water skiing and sailing in the summer and snow skiing in the winter. I did post graduate work; internship and residency at Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas and Stanford University Hospital in Palo Alto. I met my wife in Dallas when I was an intern and we lived to South Lake Tahoe where I practiced for almost eight years. We had our two children there and I took care of entertainers and celebrities for Harrah's Casino. We moved to the foothills for a more wholesome life style and better schools for our children. I was a towney for UCSF and UCD medical schools and chief of staff of Barton Hospital in SLT. I was in rural solo practice for another almost eight years before joining TPMG – Kaiser where I worked on innovations for the Adult Medicine remodel project. I water skied until my early 60's, sailed into my late 60's and snow skied into my early 70's. I have had a very active life and love the mountains and ocean. My wife of almost 50 years and I are so grateful we have been able to live Northern California. I have had a wonderful live and I credit books, reading, and my education for giving me the opportunity to live the way I have lived. We like to travel and enjoyed going to Europe until COVID. Presently I am focused on two things ; my grand daughter who I adore and trying to do something about the dismal state of healthcare in this country.
Where did you grow up, and how did this influence your writing?:
Deep East Texas know as the Golden Triangle. I read and I read and I read. Books took me away from the swamps, refineries, chemical plants, and polluted river. My happy place was the beach and the ocean, that's where my inspiration has always come from.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Sometimes I write late at night just before I go to bed.
What authors have influenced you?
Deep East Texas know as the Golden Triangle. I read and I read and I read. Books took me away from the swamps, refineries, chemical plants, and polluted river. My happy place was the beach and the ocean, that's where my inspiration has always come from.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
I'm a new author. I don't know anything, I got nothing.
What is the best advice you have ever been given?
Live in the present, forget the past, it's over and there is nothing you can do about it. The future hasn't happened yet and you have no idea what it holds so stop worrying about it and live it.
What are you reading now?
Tom Holland – Persian Fire
What’s your biggest weakness?
There are too many to enumerate but mostly I like to play and get distracted by wanting to have fun.
What is your favorite book of all time?
Tough question – there are so many. Moby Dick of course, The Source, The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings Series, Dickens period, Steinbeck period, Thomas Cahill The Hinges of History series, Colleen McCullough' s First Man of Rome series but probably The Iliad.
When you’re not writing, how do you like to spend your time?
With my wife and family.
Do you remember the first story you ever read, and the impact it had on you?
Arthur Conan Doyle – Sherlock Holmes. It taught me how o be a detective – physicians are detectives of a sort and he based the character and his methods on medicine.
What has inspired you and your writing style?
Stagg Larson, Hemingway, and my life.
What are you working on now?
Finishing a series of 2 to 3 novels.
What is your favorite method for promoting your work?
I basically have none.
What’s next for you as a writer?
I have finished a two book series and may add a third novel to the series, but I would like to get enough traction to write non fiction book or books about the state of health care and medical training. How we got here, who is responsible, and who is to blame followed by what can be done to fix the situation.
How well do you work under pressure?
I spent 4 years in medical school, 3 years in post graduate training, and practiced for over 30 years dealing with suffering, disability, and death being responsible for other human beings, so what do you think?
How do you decide what tone to use with a particular piece of writing?
I lived it and I wrote it like I lived it . I'm simply a guy telling a story.
If you could share one thing with your fans, what would that be?
Stop being distracted by the shiny objects, smoke, and mirrors and start voting on issues that directly affect you, like health care and medical training. Your health is the most important thing you possess.
J. A. Alexander’s Author Websites and Profiles
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