J.J. Overton is from Coventry, and served an apprenticeship as a precision toolmaker, studied mechanical engineering, and is a Freeman of the City. He was a director of Grey and Rushton Precision Tools, and subsequently was involved with quality control at industrial giants, Alfred Herbert Machine Tools, Massey-Ferguson, and the structural composites division of Courtaulds.

In later years, he was a self-employed stained glass artist and more recently has begun devoting more time to writing a series of science fiction books.

His native Warwickshire, with its rich, and sometimes turbulent history, is an enormous influence on his writing. There are many more books in his 'to write' list, including two historical novels.