About the Author

Justin Marler began writing and traveling in the San Francisco Bay Area in the early 1990s. At age 19, after joining a prominent alternative rock band and traveling extensively, he landed his first publishing deal writing fiction. Before finishing his manuscript, he left conventional life and entered an Eastern Orthodox monastery in northern California. As a monk, Justin worked in the publishing arm of the monastery, traveling the world over while penning spiritual texts and travelogues for magazines. An article in The Washington Post sparked a flurry of mainstream press attention after featuring a story on Justin's life and writings. The result was his first full-length book, Youth of the Apocalypse.After seven years, Justin left the monastery and returned to the world," where he entered both the music and publishing professions. He fronted an alternative rock band by night and by day worked as an illustrator and occasional travel writer.Justin first encountered Austin while on tour with his band, where they performed at famed alternative rock venue, Emo's. He has now lived in Austin for 10 years.