James Michael Pratt, businessman and author, was born in Southern California. He attended California State University at Northridge and Brigham Young University in Utah. He has worked in real-estate development and investment advertising. His self-published novel, The Last Valentine, sold 10,000 copies in six months before being bought out by St. Martin's Press. It then sold more than 100,000 copies in three months, reaching number 29 on the New York Times bestseller list. His other novels include: The Good Heart and Paradise Bay.