Joseph M. Monks was born in Queens, New York, and though he no longer lives in the state, he will always consider himself a New Yorker. He began writing at the age of nine and hasn't looked back, particularly in recent years. Undaunted by the loss of his eyesight in 2002 (the result of a long battle with diabetic retinopathy), the then-33 year old author completed his first anthology of original fiction, Stuff Out'a My Head, released in December of the same year.Joe continues to write original short fiction, in addition to branching out into the world of screenplays and filmmaking.Despite blindness and surprising many, Joe returned to the comic book field, where his career got started when he co-created the cult horror title Cry For Dawn. Shrugging off the inertia of his ex-partner and continuing to be a driving force in independent horror, Joe released a spate of successful comic book titles including The Night Terrors, NightCry, Gory Lori, Zacherley's Midnight Terrors (featuring the world-famous TV horror host) and several one-shots. In addition to getting the opportunity to work with The Cool Ghoul, Joe has worked with such legendary talents as Basil Gogos, frequent Stephen King collaborator Bernie Wrightson, William Stout, fantasy artist Ken Kelly, and others.In 2003, Joe's short story, "Chance Meeting," was optioned by Japanese producers Bunkasha Entertainment and DK Publishing, who tapped Joe to write the script for a TV pilot. The project was green-lit and shot, though the producers decided to take the property, starring supermodel Matsuo Otani, and release it as a stand-alone DVD instead. Packaged with a hardcover photo book, it was a runaway success. The filmmaking experience (Joe not only co-produced the U.S. release's framing sequence, he also has a supporting role) pushed him on a path towards fulfilling another long-time goal, that of directing a feature film. With The Bunker, due out in 2013 from Commodity Films, Monks once again broke new ground, becoming the world's first--and only--blind feature film director. The movie generated critical praise, and garnered him the Achievement in Cinema award at the Gasparilla International Film Festival.Monks turned his attention to the mystery genre with his critically-acclaimed debut novel, Torn to Pieces, released in August of 2012. That was followed by the zombie anthology, Dead Meat, in October. His next anthology, Bloodstainz, is due for release in early 2013, and he's currently working on the next novel in the Whelan/Carver series, tentatively entitled Love Gun.Joe lives in Southwest Florida with his wife, Pamela, their dog, Luna, and two mischievous black cats, Midnite and Shadow.