After finding a manual typewriter in the basement of a friend's house, Michael J. Sullivan inserted a blank piece of paper and typed: It was a dark and stormy night. He was just eight years old at the time and mimicking Snoopy so we'll forgive the use of that overused opening. But the desire to fill the blank page and see what doors the typewriter keys would unlock wouldn't let him go. For ten years Michael developed his craft by studying authors such as Stephen King, Ernest Hemingway, and John Steinbeck. During that time he wrote thirteen novels, and after finding no traction in publishing, he quit and vowed never to write creatively again.Michael discovered that never is a very long time and ended his writing hiatus a decade later but with a condition: he wouldn't seek publication (as doing so was just too painful). Instead, he decided to write books he wanted to read and developed a fantasy series to for his then thirteen-year-old daughter, who was struggling in school due to dyslexia. After reading the third book, his wife insisted the series needed to "get out there." After Michael refused to jump back on the query-go-round, she took over the publication tasks.Michael is one of the few authors who has successfully published through all three routes: small press, self, and big five, and he helps aspiring authors help determine the path that is best for them through is posts on publishing for Amazing Stories. Some key accomplishments of his career include: * Named to io9's Most Successful Self-Published Sci-Fi and Fantasy authors* Selling more than half a million copies* Being translated to fifteen foreign languages* Spending more than a year on Amazon's Bestselling Fantasy Author's list * Having his books named to more than 90 "best of" or "most anticipated" lists including those compiled by Library Journal, Barnes and Noble, Goodreads.com, and Audible.comToday, Michael continues to fill blank pages and is working on completing the final book in his third series tentatively titled The First Empire (traditional fantasy). His first science fiction novel, Hollow World was released by Tachyon Publications in April 2014. CONTACT INFORMATION* Riyria Blog: www.riyria.com* Hollow World Blog: www.hollowworldnovel.wordpress.com* First Empire Series Blog: www.firstempireseries.com* Twitter: @author_sullivan* Riyria Facebook: www.facebook.com/riyria * Author Facebook: www.facebook.com/author.michael.sullivanBIBLIOGRAPHYTHE RIYRIA REVELATIONS (Omnibus Editions)* Theft of Swords: contains The Crown Conspiracy & Avempartha* Rise of Empire: contains Nyphron Rising & The Emerald Storm* Heir of Novron: contains Wintertide & PercepliquisTHE RIYRIA CHRONICLES* The Crown Tower* The Rose and the Thorn* Blood of Thieves (Omnibus that contains The Crown Tower and The Rose and the Thorn)THE FIRST EMPIRE (release date to be determined)* Rhune* Fhrey* DhergSTANDALONE NOVELS* Hollow World (time-travel science fiction)* Antithesis: release date to be determined (contemporary fantasy)* Burden to the Earth: release date to b determined (literary fiction)ORIGINAL BOOKS OF THE RIYRIA REVELATIONS (out of print)* The Crown Conspiracy* Avempartha* Nyphron Rising* The Emerald Storm* Wintertide* PercepliquisSHORT STORIES* The Viscount: A Riyria Short* The Jester: A Riyria Short* The Thieves: A Riyria Short (coming soon)* Greener Grass (time-travel science fiction)* Traditions: (traditional fantasy, coming soon)* God's Game: (contemporary fantasy, coming soon)* Burning Alexandria: (dystopian science fiction, coming soon)* Autumn's Mist (contempoary fantasy, coming soon)SHORT STORIES IN ANTHOLOGIES* Unfettered* Triumph Over Tragedy* The End - Visions of Apocalypse