Jim Butcher is the author of The Dresden Files, a sci fi series about a Wizard P.I. in an alternate Chicago, much in the vein of Glen Cook's Faded Steel Heat.
Born in Independence, Missouri, Jim was the youngest of three siblings, the older two girls. He grew up on Star Wars and a fierce fascination for creativity and the martial arts, both eastern and medieval.
He's been practicing martial arts for more than a decade, including Ryuku Kempo, Tae Kwan Do, Gojo Shorei Ryu, and a bit of Kung Fu.
He also participates in LARP and SCA events, being a big fan of jousting, fencing, and singing.
He currently lives in Oklahoma with his family, which is where he began writing The Dresden Files, a habbit he supports by working as a computer tech.
The Dresden Files
Sources:
Author's bio in Storm Front
http://www.wizardsharry.com/dresden1.html
http://www.netexas.net/cely/dresden/