and are two of the pen names of American veterinarian Jim Czajkowski (born 1961), author of bestselling fantasy and action-packed adventure-thrillers. He sold his veterinary practice in Sacramento, California, to concentrate full-time on writing.

James is an amateur spelunker and a certified scuba diver. These pastimes provide much fodder for his novels, which are often set in underground or underwater locations.

Among those who have inspired him, James cites the authors of the Doc Savage series. As a youth, James had acquired an extensive collection of Doc Savage novels, but, he says, he remained oblivious to their influence on him as a novelist until one of his fans brought this matter to his attention.

Under the pen name James Clemens, James also writes fantasy novels including Witch Fire, Witch Storm, Witch War, Witch Gate, Witch Star, Shadowfall (2005), and Hinterland (2006) .

In 2007, he was hired to write the novelization of the script for the movie Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.
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Biographical sketch

Born in Chicago, Illinois, James graduated from the University of Missouri in Columbia, Missouri in 1985 with a doctorate (D.V.M) in veterinary medicine. His undergraduate work focused on evolutionary biology. Thereafter, he moved to Sacramento, CA, where he established his veterinary practice.

Influences

As a boy, James was fascinated by stories of the exploits of Howard Carter and his discovery of the tomb of the ancient Egyptian pharaoh, King Tutankhamun (King Tut). This true-life tale later inspired James novel, Excavation, in which the main character, archaeologist Henry Conklin, and his nephew Sam discover a lost Inca city in the mountains of the Andean jungle that contains a treasure—and a curse.

As a youth, James also enjoyed Edgar Rice Burroughs Tarzan novels, L. Frank Baums Oz series, and C. S. Lewis Chronicles of Narnia. In general, James was also ins