John Smith grew up on the south coast of England close to Brighton. After leaving school, he moved to London and began a career in the Meteorological Office. At the age of 32, John contracted a debilitating muscle-wasting illness that led to him taking early retirement in 2004. He kept up his interest in the weather, though, regularly producing small articles for websites, but the lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic provided the time needed to complete a book. His disabilities meant the novel was typed on the computer using only the index finger knuckle on his left hand.