Joseph A. Mootz was born the fourth of nine children in Southern California. He and
his siblings grew up on a small farm in rural Oregon. He is a veteran of the United
States Navy. With degrees in Engineering and Technical Communication, he has pursued
a variety of careers including Helicopter Mechanic, Computer Service Technician and
Software Engineer.
Mr. Mootz has made his home in various places such as Oregon, Tennessee, Florida, and Arizona. He has traveled extensively, including crisscrossing the United States from east to west by automobile and train many times; exploring the Western and Southwestern United States from north to south dozens of times; and visiting several foreign naval ports including The Virgin Islands, Gibraltar, United Arab Emirates, Finland, Denmark, Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia.
After settling down as a Software Engineer in Tucson, Arizona, Mr. Mootz rediscovered a long dormant dream to entertain others with stories and anecdotes. He left his lucrative job and traveled by automobile over much of the United States to adjust his outlook on life before resettling in Tucson to pursue a career as an author of mystery novels.
Mr. Mootz draws much of the inspiration for his writing from the natural wonders around him. He is fond of saying that he only writes about places that he loves. His first novel, Picacho Peak Mystery, is set in the area around a unique landmark in Arizona named Picacho Peak – a landmark he regarded as a spiritual icon long before he began to write about it. In over a decade of living in proximity to the peak, he has hiked to the top of the uniquely shaped and favorably located navigation point dozens of times simply to rejuvenate his spirit and re-center his outlook on life.
His other novels are set in locations just as uniquely beautiful and dear to the author’s heart, yet not well known to much of the general public. Black Canyon of the Gunnison in Colorado and Glacier Park in Montana are but two examples of such settings. Mootz uses detailed descriptions of plant and animal life and landscape features as observed by the characters in his stories to give the reader the feeling that they are in the wilderness with the story's protagonists.
The author also draws inspiration from the common occurrences of modern day life. When reading a Mootz novel, the reader becomes immersed in the day-to-day problems and triumphs unique to the community surrounding the setting of the book. Many events and plot twists in the books could come from local newspaper headlines on any given day.
Mr. Mootz lives a solitary life exploring the Sonoran Desert and its many unique land formations near Tucson, Arizona. He is the author of the Johnny Blue Mystery Series, a series of mystery novels set in Western and Southwestern United States. Top | Home
Mr. Mootz has no public appearances scheduled at this time. Watch here for updates or email us to have announcements sent by email.
Picacho Peak Mystery
2003 Southwest Books of the Year - Tucson Pima Public Library and Arizona Daily Star
Black Canyon Mystery
2004 Southwest Books of the Year - Tucson Pima Public Library and Arizona Daily Star
Arizona Daily Star Review - Arizona Daily Star
Melting Glaciers Mystery
Arizona Daily Star Review - Arizona Daily Star
Ironwood Forest Mystery
Arizona Daily Star Review - Arizona Daily Star
Monument News Article - Monument News
Mr. Mootz can be contacted via email at feedback@josephamootz.com or by using our feedback form.
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