Richard H. Stephens

35 years in the making, the epic/high fantasy saga, SOUL FORGE is set to launch August 14th, 2018. Book 2, THE WIZARD OF THE NORTH will launch September 12th, 2018, and book 3, INTO THE MADNESS (working title) is scheduled for late fall, 2018. There are 2 stand alone prequels already published: OF TROLLS AND EVIL THINGS, and THE ROYAL TOURNAMENT. The prequels are not required reading, but they do give the reader a sense of what shaped the characters appearing in the SOUL FORGE SAGA.

Biography

Born in Simcoe, Ontario, in 1965, I began writing circa 1974, a bored child looking for something to while away the long, summertime days. My penchant for reading The Hardy Boys led to an inspiration one sweltering summer afternoon when my best friend and I thought, "Hey, we could write one of those." And so, I did.

As my reading horizons broadened, so did my writing. Star Wars inspired me to write a 600-page novel about outer space that caught the attention of a special teacher, Mr. Woodley, who encouraged me to keep writing.

A trip to a local bookstore saw the proprietor introduce me to Stephen R. Donaldson and Terry Brooks. My writing life was forever changed.

At 17, I left high school to join the working world to support my first son. For the next twenty-two years I worked as a shipper at a local bakery. At the age of 36, I went back to high school to complete my education. After graduating with honours at the age of thirty-nine, I became a member of our local Police Service, and worked for 12 years in the provincial court system.

In early 2017, I resigned from the Police Service to pursue my love of writing full-time. With the help and support of my lovely wife Caroline and our 5 children, I have now realized my boyhood dream.