W. J. Rayment lives in Bellevue, Washington, eats jalapeno
peppers whole on a dare, remodels houses, writes books and creates web
sites.
Being born in Steven King's hometown of Bangor, Maine, in no way prepared W. J. Rayment for literary success. However, it did give folks more than one reason to label him a Maineiac. Eldest of four children, he grew up in a tight-knit family. His father was an Air Force officer and his mother doted on him and his siblings. He never made his bed as a child and refuses to do so to this day.
The rigors of life as a military brat led directly to the rigors of life as
an amphibious warfare specialist on the USS Raleigh during the 1980s. Navy
life suited him well. The only drawback is that he is prone to motion
sickness. Bobbing about like a cork on the ocean proved to be more than he
cared to experience for a lifetime.
Subsequent to his military service, Mr. Rayment married a charming if
outspoken woman, had two children and ate three square meals a day (while
working in a pickle warehouse and writing novels in his spare time).
His wife, Robin, showed little aptitude for cooking. Mr. Rayment's need for
nourishment necessitated the development of some culinary expertise on his
own part. A keen curiosity led to study and experimentation. Thus, he pored
over his books at the feet of the masters (though that was not always the
most aromatic of places to study). In the end, he discovered that the best
meals were not always those that were difficult or fancy. Often they
involved only a few moments of intense effort and rudimentary knowledge.
Mr. Rayment's natural impatience, proletarian palate and keen intellect
helped him realize that there were few cookbooks for the average Joe, the
real man. This gaping hole cried to be filled. Indeed, he was the man to do
it. With verve and vigor, he produced The Real Man's Cookbook from a
compendium of recipes and accompanying essays he had produced over a year’s
time.
The cookbook seemed to be a perfect format for the Internet, where it first
appeared The popularity of the online cookbook startled its author and dismayed proponents of haute cuisine. He was bombarded by requests for hard copies of the book. iPublisher soon offered a contract for it.
Currently W. J. Rayment resides in Bellevue, Washington, where he spends
most of his time answering hate mail from highbrows who think a can of
mushroom soup is a shocking ingredient and that whine is spelled "wine."