Joe Donnelly was born in Glasgow, in Scotland, close to the River Clyde, but at a very young age he came to live in Dumbarton, which is some miles from the city and close to Loch Lomond, Ben Lomond and the Scottish Highlands.
At the age of 18, he decided to become a journalist and found a job in the Helensburgh Advertiser, a local paper in a neighbouring town where he learned the first essential of writing: how to type. Quickly.
A few years later, at the age of 22, he became editor of his local newspaper, the Lennox Herald in Dumbarton, before moving to the Evening Times and then the Sunday mail in Glasgow where he became an investigative journalist.
During his career he won several awards for newspaper work including Reporter of the Year, Campaigning Journalist and Consumer Journalist.
It was while working in newspapers that he wrote his first novel, Bane, an adult chiller, which was followed by eight other novels, mostly set in and around the West of Scotland and loosely based on Celtic Mythology.
This was followed by Stone, The Shee, Shrike, Still Life, Havock Junction, Incubus and Dark Valley.
Recently he decided to write for children, although he says his books are aimed at "young people of all ages, those with some adventure in their soul."
The Book of Ways trilogy is his first venture at telling stories for the young at heart.
Joe is now working on two novels: A chiller for adults, and another rollicking adventure for young people, based on Nordic mythology.