Clark is a native of Idaho, which is the setting for most of his novels. A country boy, Clark lived many lives before becoming an author. He worked on construction, driving heavy equipment, and worked as a carpenter, dishwasher, and sales agent in a clothing store. He got degrees in Theatre Arts, Electrical Engineering, physics, math, and a J.D. Clark worked for ten years as a contractor for the C.I.A. before starting his first high-tech company in Silicon Valley. Along the way, Clark studied to become a shaman. His stories reflect his experiences developing much of the spy technology in use today and the training he endured to become a shaman.