I grew up in Texas in the seventies, and although I really wanted to go into writing and film from an early age, my parents (Cuban-American) were NOT on board. They believed there were only three acceptable career paths for a male child: doctor, lawyer, and architect. After a disastrous first year of college pre-Med (too much fun, not enough study), I ended up getting a BA in philosophy (not acceptable), then I went to law school (salvaging the family name).

In law school, I was lucky enough to be selected for law journal and my articles have been cited by courts and recognized on the National Law Journal’s “Worth Reading” list – which for law is like a top review in the New York Times (pretty cool). After ten years as a trial lawyer, I decide

J.K. Franko was born in Texas and spent his formative years in Corpus Christi, attending St. Patrick’s Elementary and Incarnate Word Academy. His upbringing involved a strict Catholic education by Irish nuns who considered his conduct poor and academic effort lackluster. During his youth in the 1980s, Franko cherished his time at the video arcade, mastering hacky sack, and socializing at Swantner Park with friends, beer, and the iconic music of the decade. Despite the leisurely approach to his early years, he has no regrets and wouldn’t change a thing.

His academic journey, termed by him as his “Tour of Texas,” involved attending various institutions including Del Mar College, Baylor University, University of Dallas, University of the Incarnate Word (where he earned a B.A. in Philosophy, cum laude), St. Mary’s Law School (securing a Juris Doctor, summa cum laude), and UT Austin’s McCombs School of Business (where he achieved an M.B.A. as a Kozmetsky Scholar). Currently, he is pursuing his Ph.D. in Literature at the University of Texas.

After a decade as a trial lawyer in Texas, Franko transitioned into the corporate world, taking up executive roles in Fortune 100 companies in Europe and Asia. While he has authored several non-fiction books and articles, storytelling remains his true calling. His first series—Roy Cruise Series—was completed in 2020 and was translated for international publication in 2023.

Franko lives in Dallas with his wife and a fluctuating number of five or six dogs.