M.R. Mathias | |
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| Born | Michael Robb Mathias July 20, 1969 |
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| Period | 2007–present[1] |
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| mrmathias | |
M.R. Mathias is an American author whose notable works include The Wardstone Trilogy, the Dragoneer Saga, The Legend of Vanx Malic fantasy adventure series, and Crimzon & Clover Short Story Series. His most recent work is a four-book epic fantasy series called "Fantastica."
History
Michael Robb Mathias was born in the outskirts of Oklahoma City. In 1987, he graduated from high school and received a scholarship to study creative writing in East Central University in Oklahoma. He then went on to study creative writing at University of Oklahoma. After college, he took up work in the steel industry, initially for TG Steel and then for a company owned by Ross Perot called DPR Construction. During 2000-2004 he participated in the building of the Alliance Parkway.
Struggling with drug addiction, he spent several years in a Texas prison for drug possession. While incarcerated, Mathias spent his time reading books from the prison library. It was during this time that he turned his energy toward writing. He wrote several full length novels in longhand. Since his release, he stated that he is putting in every effort to keeping and to maintaining himself clean and free from addiction. He says: "Writing was my salvation. I was on a Maximum Security Unit for a while, over a few fights. I was in a modern dungeon cell 23 hours a day, everyday. Every word on every page of The Wardstone Trilogy was a moment of freedom I created for myself."[2][3]
After prison, he moved to Houma, Louisiana, to take care of his aging grandmother who was suffering from Alzheimer's disease. He spent his time taking care of her while entering his longhand novels into a word processor. It was during this time that he also began writing The Dragoneer Saga. After his grandmother's passing, his mother retired from her professorship and learned she had cancer. He moved back to Oklahoma in 2011 to assist her with her treatments at Integris Treatment Center. In 2014, she was listed as terminal and entered hospice care during the summer of 2016. He remained by her side until her death on January 16, 2017. He went on to assemble several charity anthologies to benefit other cancer victims and their families.
In 2010, The Royal Dragoneers, book one of The Dragoneer Saga, was nominated for the Locus Poll award.[4] Also in 2010, the first books of The Dragoneer Saga and The Wardstone Trilogy were mentioned by Publishers Weekly.[5]
Blood and Royalty, the sixth book of The Dragoneer Saga, was released December 21, 2014.[6]
In late 2017, Mathias released the four-book Fantastica series, which he had written in longhand in the 1990s, forgotten, and then found in a box in his mother's closet.
In 2018, Mathias began releasing books from his newest series, Dragon Racers.
Bibliography
References
- ↑ "Award Winning, #1 Bestselling, Fantasy Author". M.R. Mathias. Retrieved January 14, 2017.
- ↑ "Finding Magic in Reality: An Interview with M. R. Mathias". Plotist.com. September 14, 2016. Retrieved January 14, 2017.
- ↑ "Interview from 2010 between M. R. Mathias and David Wiseheart". Wattpad.com. June 2, 2012. Retrieved January 14, 2017.
- ↑ "Fantasy Book Critic: The Locus Poll 2011 - April 15 Deadline Close + My Votes (by Liviu Suciu)". Fantasybookcritic.blogspot.com. April 10, 2011. Retrieved January 14, 2017.
- ↑ "Introducing PW Select's Self-Publishing Listings". Publishersweekly.com. December 20, 2010. Retrieved January 14, 2017.
- ↑ "Award-Winning Author, M.R. Mathias Releases: Blood and Royalty (Dragoneer Saga – Book Six) - CNN iReport". Ireport.cnn.com. December 19, 2014. Retrieved January 14, 2017.
- ↑ "The Dragoneer Saga". M.R. Mathias. Retrieved January 14, 2017.
- ↑ "The Wardstone Trilogy". M.R. Mathias. Retrieved January 14, 2017.
- ↑ "The Legend of Vanx Malic". M.R. Mathias. Retrieved January 14, 2017.