My name is Jay Lemming and I’m the U.S.-based author of the Maddox Men series, a collection of novels and stories that you can read more about here.
Earlier in life, I aspired to be an English professor and went on to earn a Master’s degree in Literature from Fordham University in the Bronx. However, when it absolutely came to decision-making time about whether or not to pursue my doctorate, I wasn’t sure this was the route I wanted to take. I took a leave of absence from university, went to Sri Lanka to teach English to primary, secondary and tertiary-level students for a year then returned to the United States.
The year abroad gave me perspective on my future career and life goals, and gave me a deeper appreciation for global issues since Sri Lanka was in the midst of a civil war when I lived there.
Given my intellectual bent at the time, it was the hardest decision I made to date to turn from academia and pursue a professional career in communications while writing fiction on the side.
I don’t regret the decision. But my deep and abiding love for literature lives on and continues to influence my writing, even today.
