James Zollern is from middle Georgia and works as the database administrator for his county. He writes, programs, games, plays guitar and does voice impressions as hobbies. His first book, The Protocol Experiment, is based on an idea he had in 2015. He outlined the story within a month, and started writing soon after. However, it took him ten years to finish it because of major life issues.

He suffered through severe mental health trauma, and though he eventually recovered, he's still haunted by his past. A few years later, he discovered he had a rare liver disease called primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) and was in end-stages. He received a liver transplant on May 23, 2025, saving his life, and he decided to finish the book during his second shot.

It truly was like being born a second time. He had to relearn how to walk, talk and do things for himself. He used a walker and later a cane before weening off those. The disease and subsequent recovery were brutal on him, but he's excited to be on the other side of it, and to finally have finished the book he started over a decade ago. He proudly boasts that it's the greatest accomplishment of his life.

The Protocol Experiment is the first book in a series, and he's already started writing the second book. Many of his ideas didn't make the final cut on the first book, so there are plenty left over to use. He deviated a little from the outline he crafted in 2015, but still used it as a base. Previously, it was difficult for him to find motivation to write, but he found that once he got started, he found it fun and enjoyable, so much so to the point where it became difficult to stop.

He's said physically holding a copy of his own book in his hands is surreal. His advice is for everyone to follow their dreams and become who they wish to be, with the biggest piece of motivational advice he gives being simply this: "do the thing."

One of the many used phrases he often says to his friends and family, is how two steps forward, and one step back, is still one step forward. He believes if you start looking at life like that, then dreams become goals, and they begin feeling reachable. Recalling his near-death experience to full recovery, he advises it will make you re-evaluate your entire life and see the world through an entirely different lens. Despite originally being told he only had three weeks to live, he is immensely grateful to be alive, and highlights how being near the brink of death convinces you to realign your priorities.