About the author

M Thomas Apple

Originally from Troy, New York, M. Thomas Apple spent part of his childhood in a tiny hamlet in the Helderbergs and his teenage years in a slightly larger village in the Adirondacks. He studied languages and literature at Bard College and creative writing at the University of Notre Dame, where he wrote a controversial, award-winning opinion column for the student-run daily newspaper,&nbsp;<em>The Observer</em>. He lives in rural Japan, in a house co-designed with his wife and partially decorated by his two daughters, nestled in the foothills of the mountains and surrounded by lots and lots of cedar and cicada. A holder of a 4th&nbsp;<em>dan</em>&nbsp;in Shorinji Kempo, he also enjoys hiking and running, as long as his asthma behaves itself.<br>​​​​​​​​​​​​​​<br>His first novel,&nbsp;<em>Approaching Twi-Night</em>, received positive reviews from Self-Publishing Review and Kirkus Reviews, among others. A non-fiction book of essays (<em>Taking Leave: An American on Paternity Leave in Japan</em>, Perceptia Press) was published in October&nbsp;2015, and a&nbsp;collection of his short fiction and poetry (<em>Notes from the Nineties</em>) was&nbsp;released in March&nbsp;2016. His novelette/novella&nbsp;<em>Adam’s Stepsons</em>&nbsp;is a preview of the futuristic dystopian world of the trilogy&nbsp;tentatively called&nbsp;<em>Children of Pella</em>. The first book of the trilogy (<em><strong>Bringer of Light</strong></em>) will be released in early 2024.