John Moss studied Fine Arts and English in Wolverhampton and Manchester Art Schools, before taking early retirement after teaching and lecturing in Art & Design. He founded a Graphic Design company in 1997. Retired at last, he began writing: a science fiction trilogy in 2013. His first two non-fiction books were Great British Family Names and A History of English Placenames, both written for Pen and Sword: this will be the third history book in the series.