Like his novel's protagonist, Nikitas was born on Saint Lucy's Day, December 13th. Raised in Manchester, NH, then Rochester, NY, he earned his MFA in Creative Writing from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, then sought adventure in the Czech Republic, England, and Costa Rica.

He has taught writing, film and literature at the State University of New York College at Brockport, and he is currently pursuing a PhD in English from Georgia State University. He has published stories in The Ontario Review, Chelsea, Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, and The Pedestal Magazine. Joyce Carol Oates nominated him for a Pushcart Award in 2005. In 2007 he was awarded a Thrillerfest debut author scholarship by the International Thriller Writers and a fellowship to the prestigious Sewanee Writers' Conference.