Visitors to this website know me as a fiction writer. I have but two major literary influences: Stephen King and Blake Crouch. I read their books and draw upon their knowledge and artistry of the written word as a guide stone, if you will, to my own writing.

I am a draftsman by trade, but in the fall of 2010 I left the cast stone industry (a small facet of the construction industry) to pursue a dream of mine: opening a restaurant. I dropped everything, enrolled in culinary school, and didn’t look back. It is my ultimate goal to combine my love of the written word and my love of food into a new life doing something I truly love.

I have thus far self published one small book of short stories (I like to call them short, short, short stories) and have collaborated with other authors from around the world on a series of Choose Your Own Adventure Books: History’s Keeper and Dust and Death. In addition to this, I post periodic short stories on this site for Write Anything’s Fiction Friday and Friday Flash (#FictionFriday and #FridayFlash on Twitter). You can also find articles I’ve published on Associated Content. All of these are easily accessible through this site. Just scroll down to the bottom of the page for the Associated Content widget and use the Library tab on the top menu to access my books.

I can usually be found sitting at my desk typing away, creating a new world or in the kitchen conjuring up some new culinary creation. I am also an avid movie watcher and like to tweet movies as I watch them. Just look for me at @JohnLPender on Twitter.

I currently live in Barrow County, Georgia with my wife Denise and our miniature dachshund, Chevy.