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Terry Goodkind biography

Terry Goodkind was born in 1948 and raised in Nebraska in the United States. Goodkind, slightly unusually for an author, suffers from dyslexia. He worked as a carpenter and a rare artifact restorer and painted some beautiful marine and wildlife paintings.

Whilst building his own home in the middle of a forest on Mount Desert Island, Maine, Goodkind began writing his first novel. The novel later became Wizard’s First Rule and was published in 1994. So began a series of books that formed the Sword of Truth series. The following year, in 1995, Stone of Tears was published and Blood of the Fold followed this in 1996. Of all of the Sword of Truth books only Wizard’s Rule and Stone of Tears have failed to reach the New York Times Bestseller List.

The series continued in 1997 with Temple of the Winds, with Soul of the Fire and Faith of the Fallen following in 1999 and 2000 respectively. The Pillars of Creation (2002), Naked Empire (2003), Chainfire (2005) and Phantom (2006) take the total number of books in the series up to ten so far. His latest book, Phantom, entered the New York Times Bestseller List at number one.

Each book in the Sword of Truth series has sold better than its predecessor and to date the series has sold over twenty million copies.

Terry Goodkind lists Ayn Rand as a huge influence on his writing. He has sold over twenty millions books and these have been translated into over twenty different languages. He also feels that while his novels are placed firmly within the fantasy genre, the philosophical and humane elements in his books take them into a different genre. He believes that the fantasy settings and themes of his books make it easier for him to get his ideas across.

Did you know? Terry Goodkind’s Wizard’s Rule holds the record for highest amount paid at auction for a first fantasy novel (over five times the price paid for any other). He now lives in another self-built house with his wife Jeri. The house is located in a desert region in the south west of the United States.

Goodkind’s main reason for writing fantasy novels is to inspire. If you wish to get a signed copy of a Goodkind book then please go to www.bettsbooks.com, this is only way to get a signed copy.

Terry Goodkind bibliography

Terry Goodkind interviews

An interview in 2003 on scifidimensions.com, shortly before the release of Naked Empire. Terry Goodkind explains that his books are all about clarity and based on a very clear philosophical and moral stance. He also goes in Kantian ethics and talks about the war in Iraq. Terry Goodkind interview (2003) >>