About the Author

Jacob Emrey was born in San Francisco, California, in 1979 and grew up in Northern California. In high school, he proudly boasted about his trip to Nevada—it was, after all, the first time he’d ever traveled outside of California. Clearly, the travel itch struck early, and he finally scratched it after graduation by joining the United States Marine Corps.

Serving in the presidential helicopter squadron HMX-1, best known for Marine One, Jacob traveled extensively, including his first overseas adventures to Ireland and Japan. During his time in the Marines, he also witnessed the tragic events of September 11, 2001. He still remembers the haunting words of a fellow Marine, who looked

out across the Potomac and said, “Oh my God, look at the Pentagon.” In a fortunate twist of fate, Jacob had been at the Pentagon almost exactly twenty-four hours before the attack. The next day, he was part of the detachment that escorted President Bush to New York. The terrible event and the following year of service made a strong impact on him but when the time came, he exited the Marine Corps for a college education.

Jacob returned home and enrolled first at a junior college and later at a small university. During those years, he also discovered what would become a lifelong passion for martial arts, training in Muay Thai and Western boxing, disciplines he still practices today. In the classroom, a soft-spoken professor sparked his fascination with history, setting him on a path that led to a degree in 2008. And, as Jacob likes to joke, when you earn a history degree and have little interest in research, there’s really only one logical career path—you teach.

Unfortunately, Jacob earned his teaching credential just as the real estate crash sent the job market spiraling. So, he took the next logical step and accepted a position teaching English in Ukraine. That experience became a turning point in his life: it sparked a love for international education and introduced him to the warmth, resilience, and culture of the Ukrainian people. Jacob later returned to Ukraine at the tail end of the Maidan protests to witness firsthand the country’s struggle and passion for positive change.

After Ukraine, Jacob spent a year teaching in Kuwait before returning to the United States, where he joined a charter school in San Jose, California. He remained there for four years before the call of the wider world lured him back overseas. His travels next took him to Chengdu, China, where he lived for three years and swears he enjoyed the best food of his life. In 2019, he relocated once more, this time to the place he now calls home: Bangkok, Thailand, where he continues to live and teach.

It was during his years in San Jose that Jacob wrote Millennium Stone, his first foray into fantasy fiction. That experience ignited a deep creative drive, and he has been writing ever since, experimenting across genres and refining his voice with each new story.

Some of Jacob's favorite books