A linguist by training, James Ziskin studied Romance Languages and Literature at the University of Pennsylvania, where he taught elementary/intermediate French and Italian. He also spent a year teaching English at the University of Paris X, Nanterre. After completing his graduate degree, he worked in New York as a photo-news producer and writer, and then as Director of NYU's Casa Italiana Zerilli-Marimò. He has since spent fifteen years in the Hollywood post production industry, running large international operations in the subtitling/localization and visual effects fields. His international experience includes two years working and studying in France, extensive time in Italy, and more than three years in India. He speaks Italian and French fluently. Habla español. Aur wo thoda Hindi bhi bolta hai.Styx & Stone is the first of the Ellie Stone murder mystery series. Look for No Stone Unturned and Stone Cold Dead in 2014.James grew up in Amsterdam, New York. He now lives in the Hollywood Hills with his wife Lakshmi and cats Bobbie and Tinker.James is represented by William Reiss of John Hawkins and Associates, Inc.