After retiring, J.R. Rhodes makes his official debut as the author of his first published novel. He has been writing all his life and wrote his first biography at the age of twelve, later continuing to write prose and poetry for his friends and family in a more private nature. 

Having actively served in the military during the Vietnam Era as a Nuclear Trained Electricians Mate, Rhodes was responsible for tasks of operating and maintaining equipment aboard the submarine. Later, he served as an instructor at a nuclear prototype. After the Navy, he built a career as an electrical engineer before retiring to live a more civilian life in northern Arizona. His hobbies include woodworking, fishing, reading and hiking in the wilderness.