R.J. Pineiro is the author of several techno-thrillers, including Ultimatum, Retribution, Breakthrough, Exposure, Shutdown, and the millennium thrillers 01-01-00 and Y2K. He is a seventeen-year veteran of the computer industry and is currently at work on leading-edge microprocessors. He was born in Havana, Cuba, and grew up in El Salvador before coming to the United States. Pineiro holds a degree in electrical engineering from Louisiana State University, a second-degree black belt in martial arts, and is a licensed private pilot and a firearms enthusiast. He has traveled extensively through Central America, Europe, and Asia. He lives in Texas with his wife, Lory, and his son, Cameron.