Michael J. Sullivan is a New York Times, USA Today, and Washington Post bestselling author, and no one is more surprised by those facts than he. When just a boy, Michael found a typewriter in the basement of a friend's house, inserted a blank piece of paper, and typed, "It was a dark and stormy night." He was just ten years old and mimicking the only writer he knew at the time: Snoopy. That spark ignited a flame, and Michael's desire to fill blank pages became a life-long obsession. As an adult, Michael spent more than ten years developing his craft by studying authors such as Stephen King, Ernest Hemingway, and John Steinbeck. During that time, he wrote thirteen novels but found no interest from the publishing industry. Since insanity is repeating the same action while expecting a different result, he made the rational choice to quit, vowing never to write creatively again. Never turned out to be too long for Michael, and after a decade, he returned to the keyboard in his forties, but with one condition: He wouldn't seek publication. Instead, he wrote a series of books that had been building in his head during his hiatus. His first reading love was fantasy, and he hoped to foster a similar reaction in his then thirteen-year-old daughter who struggled with dyslexia. After reading the third book of this series, his wife insisted that the novels had to "get out there." When Michael refused to jump back onto the query-go-round, Robin took over the publication tasks, and she has run the business side of his writing ever since. Currently, Michael has released twenty-one novels (twenty based in his fantasy world Elan). His books include: • The Riyria Revelations* (completed): Theft of Swords • Rise of Empire • Heir of Novron • The Riyria Chronicles (ongoing): The Crown Tower • The Rose and the Thorn • The Death of Dulgath • The Disappearance of Winter's Daughter • Legends of the First Empire (completed): Age of Myth • Age of Swords • Age of War • Age of Legend • Age of Death • Age of Empyre • Rise and Fall (completed): Nolyn • Farilane • Esrahaddon • Hollow World - standalone science fiction Thriller As for reading order of his fantasy series, there are two logical choices and the author suggests a modified order of publication. • Chronological: Legends of the First Empire > Rise and Fall > Riyria Chronicles > Riyria Revelations • Author recommendation: Riyria Revelations (1 - 6) > Riyria Chronicles (1 - 2) > Legends of the First Empire (1 - 3) > Riyria Chronicles (3 - 4) > Legends of the First Empire (4 - 6) > Rise and Fall (1 - 3) > Riyria Chronicles (5) Michael is a hybrid author who has done it all: small press (Aspirations Media and Tachyon Publishing), big-five (Orbit - fantasy imprint of Hachette Book Group and Del Rey - fantasy imprint of Penguin Random House), and self-publishing (15 novels). His work has been translated into 15 foreign languages. Michael's first book was published with a small press in 2008. He self-published the rest of that series from 2009 - 2010, and his big-five tenure was from from 2011 - 2019. Today, he enthusiastically embraces self-publishing including utilizing Kickstarters for book launches and deluxe limited editions. Michael is currently working on three projects: • The Cycle - a five book series that takes place after the events in the Riyria Revelations (2 books written) • After the Fall - a three book series that takes place after the events in the Rise and Fall series (1 book written) • Blythin Castle. the sixth Riyria Chronicle tale * While there are six full-length novels in this series, they are packages as three, two-book omnibus editions. The individual titles are: The Crown Conspiracy • Avempartha • Nyphron Rising • The Emerald Storm • Wintertide • Percepliquis
