John Larry King

John Larry King

I was born John Larry King in Deming, New Mexico on April 28, 1937 to Wilmer Gene King and Lila Mae McFarland. Because my paternal grandfather was John Franklin King and my maternal Grandfather was John Wilson McFarland, my parents called me Larry.

Shortly after my birth, my father started working in a silver mine, located in the now, Ghost Town of Mogollon, New Mexico. I lived and went to school in a number of towns in western New Mexico and Eastern Arizona. In one school, I happened to be the only Anglo in the otherwise, all Mexican 1st, 2nd and 3rd grades. We met in one room with one teacher. I came to know well the term Gringo, followed by some not so mild expletives in Spanish. Because of some unpleasantness the previous year the school board required the teacher to let me out 2 minutes early to get a head start home. I used it wisely!

I hasten to say that even at that young age, I understood the impetus for the hostility. The area was a virtual ghost town and there were many empty houses. The town was built with segregation in mind. The Mexican people were housed in lower-end housing in a canyon that emptied into the town center. The upper-end housing was built on the ridge above this canyon. Even though there were many empty houses on the ridge, none of the Mexican families were allowed to occupy those nicer homes.

I remember getting my first job at age 10, sweeping out the general store in Tyrone. I received my Social Security Card at age 11, and was a “Bell Hop” at the Park Hotel in Deming, New Mexico. From there I worked as a door-to-door fruit peddler, in a mortuary, helping dress cadavers and making first calls to pick up bodies at the hospital, homes and accidents. I worked in the Copper Mines for about a year, for public utility companies for 35 years, and 18 years as a property manager on a large ranch in Florida. I was self-employed twice. The first endeavor was as a land management consultant and real estate appraiser. The second effort was in retail and wholesale food industry. We made Mexican frozen treats, ice cream and Mexican drinks. I completed the required course work for a degree in Business through California Coast University.

When I was in the 8th grade my father settled into a job that took us to Clifton, Arizona, where I graduated High School. It was here we lived on what had been a Basque Goat ranch. These were pretty good days in my life. I had a horse and all the country I needed to roam. This included the San Francisco River which flows through the town of Clifton, and during spring thaw that at times blasts through the town taking anything in its path. It was here I had the opportunity to get some “old west” type experience packing supplies on a string of donkeys to a mining crew located just northeast of the old goat ranch.

This is the setting I selected for the Jack Kane series. It was also the inspiration when I wrote Frisco Gold.

I have been blessed to be the father of eight children that I love dearly and a wife that I am crazy about and cherish. Linda and I married in 1980 and she is the light of my life. Her support gives impetus to my life and my writing efforts.

I hope you will read my books and even more I hope you enjoy them. I really enjoy hearing from my readers.

John King