J. D. Webb, a lifelong Decatur, Il resident, served in the Air Force in Viet Nam and the Philippines as a Chinese linguist before working as a manager at A. E. Staley Mfg. for twenty-five years. When he was no longer needed, he owned a shoe repair and sales shop for eleven years, until that business succumbed to the economy. He’s been writing since he could hold a pencil. For most of his 75+ years he wrote short stories, having a few published in magazines before they went the way of the dinosaurs. When he 'retired' in 2002 his wife urged him to write a novel. He didn't know if he could, so his only goal as an author was to finish a novel. He’s blessed to have had publishers who wanted to publish his work. Four novels and many short stories have been published. The latest, Uncial, agreed to publish two of his short stories and one of them, Nine One One, won first place in the Electronic Publishing International organization (EPIC) annual contest. A true joy is having someone say they couldn’t put down something he’d written until they finished. Unless his words are read they languish astride the page. The ultimate goal is to intrigue and entertain readers.