Jonathan Chadwick Akin is my full name, but I go by “Chad”. There is a story behind it; it’s not just some quirky writer thing. When my mom was pregnant with me, my grandmother told my mom and dad that if they had a boy, she wanted them to name it Chad (no one seems to know why…I’ve speculated on a few reasons over the years, both respectable and sordid, and if anyone does know why, I’d be interested in knowing). As you can guess, they honored her request. Anyway, my mom didn’t want Chad as a first name so she came up with Jonathan. But, Jonathan Chad didn’t sound right either, so she looked through a baby name book and saw Chadwick. So, I bet you’ll think twice about ever again asking, “What’s in a name?”

 

I was born in 1967 in Oklahoma City to Charles and Sandra Akin. I am the middle child, in between, my older brother Jefferson and younger sister Jennifer. After spending my early life between Southern California and South Florida, I moved to Cincinnati in 1994 where I currently live with my dog, Rocky. For most of my working life, I’ve worked in some form or another in retail management, and yet still managed to complete a college AA degree. However, my passion and talent has always been in the arts, specifically in music.

 

 At the age of eight, I began playing the trumpet in my elementary school band and by junior high had taken up the piano and flute. At the age of fourteen, after six years of intensive private lessons, I was offered an audition for a philharmonic orchestra. Due to circumstances beyond my control, I was unable to follow that path in life, but I did continue to play the trumpet throughout high school and garnered accolades and awards for my musical abilities.

 

Then there was my writing life starting in elementary school. For my fourth grade class project, I was to find and interview someone and write their biography. I chose a friend’s great-grandmother and received an “A”. My next memorable project was as a freshman in high school. I had the choice of writing “What I Did This Summer” or a short story. I wrote “A Plane Ride to Death” and received an “A -”. I still feel the “minus” was wrong or some kind of mistake. I believe the “minus” was because of artistic differences since I chose for the survivors to be rescued by a plane and the teacher thought it should have been a helicopter, but I harbor no ill feelings. Can you tell? So, fast forward a “couple” of years and in September 2006, I self-published my first novel Interrations which was not only a best seller among my friends and family, but made me somewhat of a celebrity in my community.

 

I hope you enjoy Winner’s Choice (and Interrations) and ask you to tell your friends. I also invite you to contact me with your questions, opinions on either or both of my novels, or just to say “Hello” and let me know what’s going on with you. I do have a warning, “Whatever you say may be used in a future novel.” I’m laughing maniacally!