Gamma Theta Delt James Houston Turner '69 was born in Baldwin and always wanted to be a Delt. “I used to hang out at the old Delt house down on 9^th Street,” he says, “and the guys there always had time for ‘the town kid.’ When my parents wanted to know where I was, they would first check the Delt house.”

A novelist now living in Australia, James burst onto the writing scene at the age of ten with his Adventures of Cornelius Kadiddlehopper. Not exactly must-read material, his grade school English teacher in Baldwin urged him to consider becoming a policeman. But a career in law enforcement was not to be, and James went on to write his first masterpiece – a 31,000 word theme – for talking too much in high school biology class. “I ended up writing professionally purely because I loved writing as a student,” says James, “and I would connive my way into writing projects any way that I could. I think instructors gave in just to get me off their backs, so what began as a game ended up becoming a skill. I jokingly tell people I earned a BA in BS, and in a way that’s not far from the truth. Education not only gave me knowledge, but the ability to spin angles, think critically, imagine, and create. After one such instance, my professor wrote at the top of my paper: ‘Well done, Turner. But you can’t have my job just yet’.“ After a Bachelor’s Degree from Baker, where he was editor of the Delt House rush book and Delta Gram, James went on to earn a Master’s Degree in history at the University of Houston.

James’ professional writing career has been varied. His first assignment was a promotional booklet on ecology for the Dr Pepper Company in Dallas. He authored and taste-tested every recipe in what Publisher’s Weekly called “a cookbook with ap-peel” – The Spudbook – which saw James travel coast to coast as one of television’s first cooking gurus, including appearances with celebrities Regis Philbin and Pat Boone.

After surviving cancer in 1991 and moving to Australia in 1994, James turned to writing fiction, primarily as a result of his 1980s smuggling activities behind the old “Iron Curtain,” where he helped deliver thousands of pounds of food, clothing and medical supplies, as well as money and Bibles. “It was pretty high-octane stuff for a guy with an active imagination,” he says. “I’ve been shadowed by the KGB, organized secret midnight meetings, located hidden mountain bunkers and investigated legends of forgotten tunnels buried beneath the cobblestones and bricks of some of Central Europe’s most venerated churches and cathedrals.”  His first novel, The Search for the Sword of St Peter (1996), was a result of those experiences.

Then came his “Ludlumesque” espionage thriller, The Second Thirteen (1999) – based on Department Thirteen, the actual assassination and sabotage unit of the KGB – which saw him tour bookstores throughout the American Southwest with the sponsorship and support of Qantas Airways and Jacob’s Creek wine. Barnes & Noble credited James as being the first author to ever use an animated trailer to promote a novel, with other authors now following suit. James is also credited as being one of the first authors to obtain corporate sponsorship. James then took time off from his books  to write three feature film screenplays, which gained him recognition in Hollywood.

But James was soon back writing novels, and The Identity Factor – framed from  research in archaeology, history, religion, and literature conducted as part of his Master’s Degree – was his next accomplishment. This was followed by an invitation to attend G’day USA 2007, where James introduced the director of the project to members of the Australian Film Commission, who were offering financial concessions to film projects with an Australian connection. Success from those meetings, his celebrity contacts and promotional exposure, resulted in a publishing contract for The Identity Factor. “The crowning achievement,” says James, “was having my US book launch accepted as an official G’day USA 2008 satellite event. It was the first time authors had ever been invited onto the G’day USA platform, and I was thrilled to be chosen.”

Frequently asked what gives his characters such depth, James cites his successful battle against cancer as one of the main reasons.  “I beat the odds. This is also why I write the kind of novels that I do. My characters know what it’s like to battle their own personal demons… to experience pain and discouragement, to weep with anguish and feel dejection. That’s because I’ve been there myself.  I know what it’s like.”

James has been interviewed on radio and television, has spoken in America, Europe, and Australia at writer’s conferences, in schools, universities, book clubs, churches, and civic groups.  James and his wife Wendy now make their home in Adelaide, South Australia.