About the Author

Marshall Best wears many hats: husband, father of six, business owner, lover of military history, collector, dreamer and author.  Below he shares a little about his journey to becoming a writer.  You can read more about his varied interests in a piece his wife wrote entitled Pieces of Marshall Best's Puzzle.  Marshall's love of reading and grand adventure shines through in his books.  The journey is far from over. Book five is nearly half way written and books six through nine will follow.







In Marshall's words:

     Several years ago, I self-published a book on Bible prophecy entitled Through the Prophet's Eye.  It's more of a study than a book meant for light reading, but despite the studious nature of that work, I discovered that I truly enjoy writing.  So, when my children started to ask for bedtime stories, it only seemed natural to write some.  The kids (I have six!) thoroughly enjoyed the stories, and I shared them around to some friends, who also liked them.  They became known as The Princess Meredith Bedtime Tales. I followed those up with a story for my then ten-year-old son about a boy in Rome who has many of my son's characteristics, particularly his knack for invention.  Eventually these tales grew into The Chronicles of Guiamo Durmius Stolo.

     In The Chronicles, I have tried to blend actual historical events with legitimate legends.  Some of these legends involve mythical creatures, and I portray them as if they were factual, though not necessarily as we have come to perceive them.  In Guiamo's world, magic exists, but I explain how it works, at least in my imagination, and try to make things make practical sense, rather than simply "because it's magic!"  These stories are certainly not your typical fantasy adventure where a few misfit characters (you know - the uncertain young man with a magical sword, the stubborn dwarf with an ax, a headstrong, beautiful she-elf with a bow, and a benevolent, but overmatched wizard) all go on some quest in search of a magical item, and of course they have to realize that only by using their skills together are they able to slay the monster, and then they all live happily ever after.  No, legends and history are often brutal, and many good people die.  So, I introduce to you Guiamo Durmius Stolo, who is thrust out into the world to survive by his own wits, meets good people and bad, finds favor with the gods, and ends up changing the world.

     Those who have read the first four books in the series of nine, or even just the first one, find themselves totally engrossed, devouring it in short order and longing to get the next volume into their hands.  While The Chronicles are not children's literature, they are kid safe, and a "tween" should have no trouble understanding and enjoying them.

     The first four books are published, I'm working on book five, and numbers six through nine are fleshed out enough that I know how the series will flow and end, and the ending is bodacious!

     So, how about a little more information about me.  This is an author's bio, after all.  I'm 55 years old, but feel like I should be 25.  I'm delightedly married to my first and only wife, Tracey.  We have six, as I've said, fantastic children, ages seven through 19. We are a Christian family and attend a really great Baptist church.  Aside from writing, I love airplanes, fishing, target shooting, and going antiquing.  For work (writing certainly isn't work!), I run my own business, Marshall Best Security, and compete against the formerly-family business of Best Lock aka Best Access Systems aka Stanley Security Solutions, doing exactly what had made Best Lock so successful in the past.  I also have a great collection of Best Lock memorabilia and would love to put together a small lock museum someday.