Raymond Lovato was born in Blue Island, Illinois. His proclivity for writing began at an early age. He was co-editor, sports editor and monthly columnist at his high school. He then attended St. Xavier University in Chicago, Illinois where he was co-editor of the college newspaper and columnist. While at university, Ray had several poems published in the college’s literary magazine.  Upon graduating, he worked in advertising and marketing. 

The next twenty years were filled with traveling the world with his lovely wife, Susan Marie Koss Lovato; where he somehow got himself in all sorts of trouble. From being ushered alone into the back room of a tent in the Grand Bazaar in Cairo with an over-sized Arab who resembled Sidney Greenstreet to exchange money to being attacked by a shark off of Sanibel island.  

Once he was trapped in a very small windowless room at the top of a pyramid in the jungles of the Yucatán only to find himself covered from the knees down with large tarantulas clinging to his jeans and boots for their cool surface. It was then he realized that the low ceiling was crawling with tarantulas also.

In the wilds of Borneo, while on a photographic safari, he came into contact with the actual wild man of Borneo. He had approached a baby orangutan in a clearing for a photo and was able to walk right up next to the long-armed three-foot creature. There was an immediate bonding as the animal reached out and grabbed Ray’s foot.  It was then that the mother orangutan came crashing out of the jungle, screeching madly and rushed him. 

Now some twenty years later, having survived his globe-trotting days, he moved to Palm Springs, California to open his own ten-room resort. He eventually expanded it into a seventy-seven unit condominium resort where, in addition to C. E. O., he served as marketing, advertising and public relations manager. There he continued writing with a monthly column in the Gannet Palm Springs’ newspaper. He also wrote a monthly feature for a local Antiquing magazine.   

While in Palm Springs, he founded and was president of the Desert Screen Writers Guild. He has written several screenplays.

When Ray was six years old a most momentous life-changing event occurred. While climbing up a dirt hill at the end of his block, he met Michael A. Black who would become his best friend for life. They shared many an adventure together.  It was Mike who eventually encouraged Ray to try his hand at writing fiction. 

Skip a head decades to a six hour flight from Chicago, Illinois to St. Martin in the Virgin Islands. A restless Ray takes out his notebook and begins writing down an homage to the great hero Doc Savage. Chapter one of His Master’s Voice was presented to Mike as a birthday gift. Thus Doc Atlas was born. 

With Mike’s encouragement, Ray contributes to The Incredible Adventures of Doc Atlas; an anthology of classic Doc Atlas tales in 2011.  That year also saw the publication of His Master’s Voice in Tales of Masks and Mayhem Vol. 4., Night to Dawn Press. 

Ray and Mike then began many years of collaborating on sci-fi, horror, period literature, and Doc Atlas. They produced an E Book, Dark Haven, and a super hero adventure, Stretched to the Limits. In this time they also wrote eight Sherlock Holmes adventures. That gave them barely enough time to write three additional Doc Atlas stories and release The Adventures of Doc Atlas Vol. 1 with Airship 27; a collection of early out of print Doc stories.  

Ray now resides in Anthem, Arizona where his globe-trotting days are over and he enjoys a more sedentary life. Besides writing, he enjoys his hobbies of photography and collecting old books to fill his library.  His real passion is his lovely wife, Susan, who has been the one constant in his life.