I am a native of Appalachia, now living in the Pacific Northwest (US). I began writing in 1972. I began thinking in 1990. I began blogging in 1998 as the “Christian Monist,” to address the mass exodus out of evangelicalism with thoughtful considerations of why it had failed, and where to go next. I took up writing seriously in 2000, focusing on fiction in 2010. I became a hermit in 2019 when I suddenly became quite ill due to cancer, had a bone marrow transplant and was put on “house arrest” for six months (quarantine). I came out of hermit-hood in December 2019, only to have to go back in to confinement in February 2020 with the arrival of COVID-19.
I am blessed by the fact that just before I became ill, we had moved to a small house on a beautiful mountain lake. The place (English version is Lake Erie, Washington, my Scottish translation is Loch Eyre) has been my sanctuary, a place to build things, think, and write.
I am the father of five wonderful, grown children, each enough to make even a cynical father proud.
Blog and Podcast Discussions
I have three areas I like to talk about in my blogging.
- My battle with Multiple Myeloma. I’m not talking so much about it lately as I’ve been stable. This is not a blog about my cancer. I have been thinking and writing for years. Cancer is just a milestone and please don’t interrupt everything I write or podcast about as “the cancer speaking.” I was a human, thinker, and writer, all before I had cancer and that has not change.
- Philosophical considerations for the pursuit of truth. When I say “truth” I mean the classical definition of “that which is consistent with reality” not dogmas. Much of this discussion has to do with religion and politics, and I’m not a fan of either because they tend to interfere with our pursuit of truth more than accentuate it. I’ve returned to Christianity but at a very different place than where I was before.
- I do write about writing. Having written non-fiction for thirty years, I am presently working my third, and best novel. It is my passion. It keeps me sane. Spending so much time by myself and my Saint Bernard, and a few nameless rainbow trout, goats, and chickens. I have to create imaginary worlds of social discourse with humans, or I would go friggin mad. I’m doing my level best to improve my writing so that the reader will not be disappointed and I think I’m there.
J. Michael Jones / The Hermit of Loch Eyre
More About Writing
Michael has been interested n writing since middle school. He has published over thirty articles for national and international magazines. He has written six books, ranging from Christian philosophy to headache management. The Waters of Bimini, was his first novel. His second novel, released in 2019, was Christina Athena; the Girl with the Headaches. His latest novel Ristretto Rain was released July 11th, 2020 and was Amazon’s # 1 book that had anything to do with coffee, for three weeks. His latest novel (pre-publish as of 6/7/22) is The Stones of Yemen. He carries a minor character from his novel The Waters of Bimini into the role of protagonist. The catch line is, Bryan Rogers, PA-C goes to Yemen to save the children, he leaves Yemen to save the world.
Unfortunately, Michael went from being in great health, running six miles at a time, working full time, and planning a trek across Greenland for the summer of 2019, to being serious ill in January 2019. His diagnosis was the bone marrow cancer, Multiple Myeloma and associated renal failure. It has been a trying year of efforts to stay alive and enduring treatments such as a bone marrow transplant. He learned in September, 2019, that the bone marrow (stem-cell) transplant was not fully effective in putting his cancer in complete remission as he had hoped and he continues fighting this battle. However, he is doing much better in the way he feels. He is off dialysis and does a lot of hiking, sailing, (small) mounting climbing, kayaking and has even run a few times … and of course, writing.
J. Michael Jones 