Travis
Heermann has been a freelance writer since 1999. Publishing credits
include dozens of magazine articles, role-playing game content
for both table-top and online MMORPGs, short fiction. Travis's
next novel, Heart of the Ronin,
is now available at online booksellers, select bookstores, and
libraries. For more about his publishing credits, check out the
Bibliography page. He has also
been posting a series of (mostly) weekly interviews with authors
of every genre and level of accomplishment on his blog, Blogging
the Muse.
He attended the University of Nebraska at Lincoln and graduated
with a B.S. in electrical engineering, and spent several years
working as an electronic design engineer. In 2003, he shifted
his career path from engineering to education, and moved to Japan
for three years, where he taught English in public junior high
and elementary schools. Nothing
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makes a
person more aware of the structure and idiosyncracies of English
than having to explain it to someone else. With intensive study,
he also learned to speak and write Japanese. You can find more
information about these experiences, including essays on Japanese
history and culture, elsewhere on this web site. He recently received
his Masters Degree in English from the University of Nebraska
at Omaha, specializing in Advanced Writing.
He wrote his first novel at the tender age of 14, a dreadful
but loving mishmash best described as a John Carter of Mars"homage.".
He grew up on the lonely plains of rural Nebraska reading about
hobbits, vampires, Cimmerians, Tharks, and Jedi, forever twisting
him into his current, occasionally warped persona (if you know
what all those are, you're as big a geek as he is).
Since high school - in addition to being an engineer, an English
teacher, and a writer - he has been, in no particular order: a
museum attendant, a bookseller, a referee, a farmer, a construction
worker, a comic shop clerk, a pilot, a game designer, and a private
English tutor. If a day ever goes by when he does not learn something
new, he will probably be dead.
Living in Japan proved to be a springboard to seeing the rest
of Asia. Beautiful Bali, with its lush jungles, breathtaking coral
reefs, and entrepreneurial spirit fighting against persistent
poverty and terrorism. Untamed Cambodia, with the ancient magnificence
of Angkor Wat, against its backdrop of crushing poverty and brutal,
heartbreaking history. Vivacious Vietnam, with the endless friendliness,
ingenuity, and perseverance of the Vietnamese people, struggling
to recover from decades of war and isolation. Wild, exotic Thailand,
with its rich, fascinating culture, fantastic food, surprise and
wonder around every corner, bejeweled temples and shining golden
Buddhas. And most of all Japan, a wonderful, endlessly puzzling
dichotomy, a vibrant ultra-modern economy with five hundred-year
old shrines on every mountain. At the same time, more modern than
America and as primitive and simple as it was hundreds of years
ago, a country where people forego chairs to sit on woven reed
mats to view cherry blossoms and talk to friends on hi-tech cell
phones. As a general warning, if you attempt to engage him in
conversation on any of these topics, he'll likely exhibit the
tendency to chew your ear off about them.
Nowadays, he divides his time between writing and teaching English
at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. When he's not writing
or teaching, he's probably playing a game of some sort, these
days preferably Texas Hold 'Em, reading novels or history books,
cooking, cycling, trying keep up proficiency with Japanese language,
or practicing martial arts. Aside from having a NYT bestseller,
his second most-cherished goal is to play in the World Series
of Poker.
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