A lifelong Wisconsinite and lover of writing, James began his career in television production and moved on to all forms of marketing and advertising, always with a writing and creative focus. When not writing professionally or creatively, he invested significant time and money along with bandmates pursuing music.

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At the end of 2003, he and his wife Melanie left their careers, sold their home, and joined James’s best friend and fellow musician to pursue their band, performing across Wisconsin. It was during that time James wrote his first two novels, Shrugging and Turntable (the latter very loosely inspired by their musical adventures).

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Having shook the music bug out of their systems, they transitioned back to careers. Since then, Peters has released two more books, Fortune Falls, and The Dancer and the Swan, the latter of which was a Kirkus Reviews Best Indie Book of 2025.

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He lives with his wife in the beautiful Chippewa Valley of Wisconsin, where he writes fiction, designs board games, and also occasionally does things to earn money.