JD Kelly was born in Manhattan during the Cuban missile crisis to an alcoholic housewife and an IBM executive. He grew up in northern Westchester County just north of New York City during the 1960s and 1970s, when children were often feral and finding their way with minimum parental guidance. A near-death experience just after high school changed him, providing the impetus to become a part of the recovery community.
His career path ranged from well driller's helper to building sewage treatment plants as construction manager and, in 1999, to real estate executive. In 2023, he retired. As an author, he has written several articles and booklets. His series of novels, beginning with "Marcus Glass and the Qing Dynasty," was initially inspired by his brother-in-law—a friendly and generous man who is a retired Chinese military officer. His menacing appearance is the inspiration of the first book. Drawing on his numerous world travels and experience, JD Kelly weaves a tapestry of fact, fiction, and intrigue together to create engaging and entertaining stories. The lead character, Marcus Glass, loosely based on his own life, is guided by stoic principles and navigates his operations accordingly.
He could be like someone you are acquainted with, perhaps that enigmatic friend, the one with the secret life. Soon after retiring from his career in New York, Mr. Kelly moved to the rural Makaha Valley of Hawaii, where he lives with his wife Yanjie. They spend their summers at their home in Shenyang, China. He enjoys morning meditation at the ocean, self-examination, ocean swimming, hiking, travel, and the company of family and friends wherever he may go.
