My name is J.M. Pierce. I am a fairly simple person when it comes to needs and wants. I am living happily in a rural part of Kansas with my wife and two kids. Some of my favorite things include watching the sun come up and go down, a fully majestic and star filled evening sky, a field full of grain blowing in the wind, a strong cup of coffee, and getting lost in a good book. I have been a writer of poetry and music for years. Words have always been both a form of expression and inspiration to me. The release that writing literature provides is something that I haven’t experienced with any other form of creative release. I feel every emotion that my characters are feeling. My heart races, I feel sad, I get excited; it is truly an amazing thing. My influences are diverse but, in my eyes at least, all share a common thread. I have always been a big fan of Michael Crichton.  I love the way his stories are laden with facts and always seem like they are actually possible and about to happen any day. Stephenie Meyer has actually been a large influence on me in the romantic aspect of my writing.  If it weren’t for Twilight, several elements of Failing Test would be either much lacking or non-existent. I am also a fan of John Steinbeck. The emotions and sympathy for a character that his works provoke are something that I strive for. I am also a fan of J.R.R. Tolkien, Dean Koontz, and Stan Lee. That’s correct.  I said Stan Lee!  In my opinion, Stan Lee is one of the most influential people in the world when it comes to modern fantasy and fictional heroism. When I was young, I lived in the worlds that he created through his comics and became consumed by his characters.