Jon was born in Montreal and lived in northern Quebec, the Maritimes, Western Canada, Florida, and North Carolina. Over the years, he worked as a short-order cook, a warehouseman, on a railroad maintenance crew, and on an oil pipeline. At 20, he travelled extensively throughout Asia and North America. Later he became a programmer, systems engineer, and technical trainer. Jon has an undergraduate degree in English Literature and Creative Writing, as well as an MBA in Marketing. He lives in coastal North Carolina with his wife and three fat pets.