John GargraveJohn Gargrave's passions in life surfaced early. The first birthday wish he can remember was for a tricycle and a pen. Traveling and writing were already hard-wired in his soul. A fantasy story written at the age of six was dismissed by his teacher bcause she thought he had copied it from a children's book. It was, in fact, a John original.At the age of seven, John and his family emigrated from England to Canada. Following a brief attempt at living in California, the Gargraves finally settled in Toronto where he completed his education with an honors BA at the University of Toronto. Even there, John's penchant for roaming showed itself. Two years after enrolling in an English Language and Literature program, he jumped to a curriculum in Classics (Greek, Latin, classical history and philosophy) because it offered more of a challenge. Perhaps Homer's Odyssey inspired his move.He "kept scribbling" as he entered the adult world, holding a variety of managerial positions in manufacturing, as well as importing and exporting, before owning a number of rental properties. At one point, he took a year-long sabbatical through Europe to absorb the various cultures, languages and experiences, seeds for his continued writing. Finally a lengthy stint of conducting coach and rail tours through Europe and Canada consolidated his literary direction.John is now able to concentrate wholly on his novels and short stories. He spends his time between Toronto, Ontario and Knoxville, Tennessee, because his partner, a southern gal, is allergic to Canadian winters. Read More Read Less