Review
Meet Fantasy Author Steve Campbell
When did you first start writing?
Like many authors, I began writing at elementary school and continued in high school through encouragement and support from my teachers. They saw something I didn't, so I never knew I could become a professional writer until I was at college, earning a degree in art.
Do you remember the first story you ever wrote?
Yes. The year was 1966 and there were plenty of books, movies and TV programs about outer space. Star Trek had just made it to the TV airwaves and I was hooked on the adventures of space travel. My first story was about five astronauts landing on Mars and exploring the planet. There were no martians or any other life there except for the astronauts who ended up colonizing the place inside a glass city they built. I was fascinated of someday living on another planet.
What motivated you to become an author?
I became an author and publisher of my own books when I was 13 and received a typewriter for my birthday. I wrote stories using carbon paper, mimeographed the pages, put them in binders if the book was thick or stapled the pages if it wasn't, and gave my books to family and friends. I developed characters and places that I still write about in my Green Crystal series of books today. It's delightful to know your work is appreciated when you see a smiling face and hear that person say "I loved your book. Do have any more?"
I think many people don't realize that a few centuries ago, many authors had their own printing presses and were their own publishers. Those who wanted to spend more time writing, hired people to operate the presses. Then someone opened their own printing shop and created the first publishing house, changing the way authors published their books.
Where did you grow up, and how did this influence your writing?
I grew up in a small town in northwest Pennsylvania. I had lots of cousins who liked to tell ghost stories. Much to the disapproval of my church pastor, Halloween was my favorite time of year. I carried on the tradition of telling supernatural stories when I began writing my books.
How do you approach cover design?
I'm an old-school graphic designer, so I use pencil and paper and make thumbnail sketches of the story's main theme. From there, I make a larger drawing and add color. Then I scan the drawing into my computer, tweak it with various art programs, add text, and clean things up for the final cover.
When you're not writing, how do you spend your time?
I am always writing, it seems, even in my sleep. But when I do get away from writing and have time to relax, I enjoy watching baseball. I was an avid player in my youth and I played softball in a men's league for many years, so the game will always have a place in my heart. Another passion is reading, so most of my rooms are filled with books. My favorites are art history, philosophy, biographies, and well-written fantasy. Finally, I enjoy drawing, painting, and photographing wildlife in my spare time.
What inspires you to get out of bed each day?
The unfinished story. I have many and will probably never finish them in a lifetime, which has me leaning toward the chance of reincarnation.
From the Author
"Night of the Hell Hounds" was a joy to write. Researching ghosts and spirits, hell hounds, and magic was a delight as it has continuously sparked my imagination. I love exploring supernatural themes, childhood friendships, and the sides of good and evil in my stories.
From the Inside Flap
Storyteller Steven Leo Campbell gives us a delightful book of imaginative short stories about magical creatures, the supernatural, and good versus evil in Night of the Hell Hounds and Other Stories from the Ridgewood Chronicles.
From the Back Cover
Welcome to the strange world of Ridgewood, a small town in the foothills of western Pennsylvania.
This collection of tales by sci-fi fantasy author Steven Leo Campbell is a wonderful escape into fantastic realms of the imagination and is captive reading for the teenage and adult lover of fantasy.
Night of the Hell Hounds and Other Stories from the Ridgewood Chronicles is a collection of eerie short stories about ghosts, witches, mysterious fog, plenty of magic, a computer game featuring a fire-breathing dragon, and, of course, hell hounds.
About the Author
Steven Leo Campbell is the author of the self-published Ridgewood Chronicles series. He pens contemporary, paranormal science fiction and fantasy. His Ridgewood Chronicles stories feature rural settings, with which he is most familiar, growing up and living in northwest Pennsylvania. His rural upbringing also influenced his love of art as well as his imagination: He is an award-winning landscape, wildlife, and graphic design artist. He uses his talents to create his own book covers.
Steve is an avid reader and book collector, and enjoys reading tales about the supernatural, the strange, and the macabre, almost as much as he does writing about them.
He and his wife have three adult children, several grandchildren, and a yard surrounded by wonderful wildlife.
