Introducing Rod Martin, Jr.

I have a lot on my mind. It's no wonder I became a writer. But that wasn't my first career. I've always been interested in just about everything around me—curious about life and our reason for being here.

I've been given a creative streak, but also a staunchly analytical mind. What a combination! I did my first detailed drawing at age 3, at the insistence of a babysitter. It's amazing how deeply etched in our mind early assignments can be. I wrote my first science fiction story at age 8. And I already knew that mathematics was easy for me.

While starting my art career in Los Angeles, in the 1970s, I also studied electronic engineering and climate science. Somehow, I felt I needed these things. Perhaps the highlight of my art career included a couple of one-person art shows (Bonaventure Hotel and Griffith Observatory) and doing background matte paintings for a short Ray Bradbury film, produced by two-time Academy Award-winning designer, Saul Bass (Quest, 1984). You can find me listed on the Internet Movie Database. I also published my first science fiction novel, as Carl Martin, co-authored with John Dalmas (Touch the Stars: Emergence, Tor, 1983).

Later, in the 1990s, I switched careers to computers and software engineering, working for Control Data, Ceridian Payroll, Bank of America, Global Database Marketing and IPRO Tech. I also produced 3D astronomy space software, Stars in the NeighborHood (available online).

Throughout my life, I've been a perpetual student, so it might surprise some that I started college at age 45. Somehow, it seemed the right thing to do at the time. While a student at Los Angeles Valley College, I won two writing awards. I hadn't known that my work had been submitted to those writing contests (a surprise given me by two of my professors), but I ended up winning first-place honors for my essay, "Outsiderness in the Scientific Community" (Krupnick Award), and my short story, "Toady" (Dutton Books Award).

In the late 90s, I began in earnest research into the mystery of Plato's Atlantis, discovering in the scientific literature a great deal that seems to corroborate the Greek philosopher's story as true. Some of the discoveries I made are documented on my Mission: Atlantis website.

In 2004, I completed my bachelor's degree in Computer Information Technology, summa cum laude. I learned far more outside of college, but I wouldn't trade the experience for anything.

By mid-2007, I had found the love of my life. Courting had been by chatting online. You see, she lived in the Philippines and I lived in Arizona, USA. When finally I visited her a couple of months later, after over a hundred hours of conversations, I was even more impressed with her and proposed. But where to live? I asked and she agreed to move to Arizona. But weeks later, she seemed to grow hesitant about those plans. Any fear I might have had about that hesitancy was small, because I knew my fate was in God's hands. When pressed, she finally admitted that she would rather live in the Philippines. "Great!" I said, "I'll move there." And so, all her reticence melted and we were married a month after I left America for the last time.

Not long afterward, I started my third career—writing. By that time, I had already written several hundred thousand words, both in print and online. My books you can find listed at the Tharsis Highlands publishing website.

In 2014, I taught a couple of semesters at Benedicto College, Mandaue City, Cebu—computers, software development, database management, assembly language, web development, critical thinking and professional ethics.

Life has been good, and I look forward to many more years, God permitting. Those who might be interested can stay connected through the following websites:

• Facebook—https://facebook.com/RodMartinJr/
• Twitter—https://twitter.com/LoneStar77/
• Google+—https://plus.google.com/+RodMartinJr/
• Patreon—https://patreon.com/rodmartinjr/
• YouTube—https://youtube.com/c/RodMartinJr/
• HubPages—https://hubpages.com/@lone77star
• Website and Blog—https://rodmartinjr.wordpress.com/
• Goodreads author page—https://goodreads.com/Carl_Martin
• Goodreads author page—https://goodreads.com/Rod_Martin_Jr
• Amazon author page—https://amazon.com/Carl-Martin/e/B008CX8KN6/
• Amazon author page—https://amazon.com/Rod-Martin-Jr/e/B008CZ9JTS/
• Smashwords author page—https://smashwords.com/profile/view/CarlMartin77
• Smashwords author page—https://smashwords.com/profile/view/RodMartinJr
• Udemy courses page—https://udemy.com/user/rodmartinjr/