<p>M.A. McComas grew up in Western Pennsylvania and went to school for teaching. However, his real passion has always been for stories. He started reading before he began Kindergarten, completed his first chapter book, "The Great Dog Disaster" by Denise Pomeraning, in the first grade, and has never been without a book in his hands since. It wasn't until a seventh grade field trip to see "The Fellowship of the Ring" by J.R.R. Tolkien, however, that he first discovered the fantasy genre. He read a smattering of fantasy series in high school, but didn't truly fall in love with the genre until he read the "Sword of Truth" series by Terry Goodkind in college.</p>
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<p>There likely isn't an author he's read who hasn't had an influence on his writing, but several have had a larger impact than others. The worlds crafted by Christopher Paolini (Alagaësia) and J.R.R. Tolkien (Middle Earth) heavily influenced his creation of the world of Stonorial in his "Trials of Transcendence" series. And while innumerable authors have no doubt helped shape his style and voice, it was the writing of Steven Erikson that taught him how to use the perspectives of many characters to craft scenes and build emotional ties between the characters and their readers.</p>
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<p>His first book, "Start of the Storm: Trials of Transcendence Volume I" was released in March 2020 and he is currently hard at work on Volume II. Follow him on Goodreads, on Facebook at Transcendent Publishing House, and on Twitter @TranscendentPH and watch for special behind the scenes looks and sneak previews in the coming months.</p>
My Favourite Genres