J. Philip Horne probably shouldn't be alive. Born in Florida, he grew up overseas for the most part, spending much of his childhood in Liberia and Micronesia. During those years, he experienced numerous attempts on his life. The wannabe killers included malaria, spinal meningitis, blood poisoning, a severe staph infection, a close encounter with a green mamba, and being circled in open water by a large shark. As an adult, he attempts to limit his life-threatening adventures to his novels.