Jean-Pierre Blackwood Author

I was lucky to be born on the southern shores of the Mediterranean Sea, specifically in Alexandria. My summers were spent on the beach, enjoying the sunshine, the original surfboards/paddle boards, and the game of sand pickleball before it even made it to the US.

Not having TVs, I read many books, especially wartime ones, Ian Flemings’s early James Bond novels, John Le Carre, Agatha Christie, Maurice LeBlanc (Arsene Lupin), and other detective/mystery-type books. For school, we had to read all the French Classics. I was always intrigued by how the characters always managed to resolve their problems. 

At the Age of 19, I came to California as a foreign student. After graduating with an engineering degree, I was able to obtain my permanent residency. I never looked back. My mother was able to join me, but unfortunately, my father passed away.

Once I graduated with a Mechanical Engineering degree, I joined an International Engineering and Construction Company and spent all my working time with them. What was great is that the company moved me to many work projects around the world, where I spent an average of a couple of years on each. My wife joined me on some of these assignments. 

But my love for writing was always with me. During my stay abroad, I wrote a philosophical book and many articles for local newspapers and the Laguna Beach weekly issues, comparing life in Laguna Beach with life in Indonesia. I wrote articles for the company’s monthly newsletter, as well as for other publications. 

I recently decided to use a “nom de plume”/pseudonym for my writings. My real name is Jean-Pierre Zacaropoulos. Having a last name starting with a “Z” had me called upon in classes either as one of the last ones or one of the first one. It was always a guessing game. But usually having an A or B will push you to the top (Ha! Ha!). So I decided to choose a “B” 

Now, I have a little bit more time, so I decided to make my long-time desire come true. I wrote my mystery/romance novel, which will be followed shortly after by a sequel. 

It’s never too late to make my dreams come true.