About the Author:
Wallace Jan Ecklof grew up in a one
square mile honky-tonk community on the Jersey shore, and graduated high school
in 1965 during the height of the Viet Nam War.
He started working as a Roller Derby
skater, a lobster man, and then a cowboy in South Dakota for two years on a
horse and cattle ranch. He then attended college studying for a degree in
business and literature. His father wished him to follow in the path of other male
family members and work for Prudential Insurance Company, while his mother
wanted him to pursue something scholarly in Art or Literature.
Being married while still in college and the birth of the first of three sons,
Shawn, Shannon, and Patrick put his college career on hold: His need to support
his family would mean the pursuit of literary interests would have to wait.
He worked in retail and insurance,
obtained his real estate license then managed a large real estate office in
Middletown, N.J. for twelve years. During this time his marriage ended in divorce
. A new chapter emerged in his
life. Wallace ran into his childhood sweetheart who encouraged him to
pursue his real calling, writing and his intense love of animals. He then
remarried and decided to take a chance and purchased a small bankrupt pet store
in Red Bank N.J. He used his education in literature and love of animals to
write interesting ad copy and his company soon became a small chain. The
company extended from New Jersey to south eastern Florida and in 1988 he
relocated to Palm Beach County, Florida.
Wallace retired in Nineteen
Ninety Six. Since arriving in Florida he had been involved with and was a contributor to Horses for the
Handicap and experienced what these big beautiful animals could do for people
with disabilities, especially children. It was at this juncture in his life that
the inspiration for the Last Celtic Angel came to him. Observing people with
physical and emotional handicaps training with horses, plus his years as a ranch hand and a life long
love of everything equine all combined to inspire his writing.
For twenty five years Wallace lived in Boca Raton and Wellington, Florida,
where he honed his equine skills and later by competing in the many horse events held in
one of the nation’s top equestrian areas. With the demise of his wife in
2006 he then returned to New Jersey, where he now resides.
