Jody Rutkowski currently works as an IT professional and father of three. He grew up in the Berkshires, where he studied theatre arts before moving to New York City at 21. As the frontman of a band signed to RCA Records, he toured and released a nationally distributed single before stepping away from music to raise his daughters. To remain connected to the arts, Jody found a new creative outlet in writing on his long commute to and from work in the city. Inspired by his daughters’ fascination with origin stories and epic fantasy, he wrote Nicholas: The Provenance—a richly imagined tale blending folklore, history, and magic to reimagine the life of the first St. Nicholas. His journey from stage to studio to story reflects a lifelong devotion to storytelling, now channeled into fantasy fiction.