Russell Pike
Author
For those of you who’d like to know a little more about me, I’m flattered. Truly. A child of the eighties, I grew up on a steady diet of Ghost Busters, Thunder Cats and Ninja Turtles. For any who are wondering, the best turtle is Michelangelo (just my opinion, even if it happens to be correct.)
When I was twelve my mother gave me a copy of Robert Jordan’s “Eye of the World”, introducing me to the world of epic fantasy. I was hooked. Since then, I’ve also read Anne McCaffrey, Tad Williams, Brandon Sanderson, Jim Butcher, Steven Erikson, Frank Herbert, David Farland, and more. There’s nothing quite so sublime as spending a quiet evening sojourning in a world other than your own, and maybe learning something important about yourself along the way.
I’d played around with writing in grade school, but took my first real foray during my late college years. I was short on funds for grad school applications, and thought I’d score a quick buck writing stories. Alas, anybody who knows anything about this industry knows you’d need a spaceship to join the worlds of “quick buck” and “novelist”. Okay, I’ve long since realize my error. You can stop laughing now.
Problem was, I was hooked. I realized one fall evening when my family invited me over to watch a movie. Truth be told, I can’t even recall what the movie was, only that I didn’t especially like it. However, I distinctly remember an annoyed feeling as the credits rolled, not because I hadn’t liked the film, but because I could have edited half a chapter in the time I’d wasted.
That was, perhaps, one of the most chilling moments of my life, as I realized just how hard I’d been bitten by the writing bug. But there was nothing for it but to press on. So I set to work.
Over the next ten years, I gave up on TV, movies, and all too often sleep, wringing every hour of writing I could from my schedule. During that time, it was my pleasure to meet a host of fantastic writers, editors, and artists, including David Farland, whom it was my great privilege to work with. Of course, I’d be remiss not to thank my family, who were ever supportive while I climbed this peak.
When I’m not writing, I love a good camping hike (so long as there’s enough trees to hang my hammock). I also volunteer as a sled dog handler, and I have a long standing love affair with fast cars and lonely mountain roads.