Writer Terry Goodkind was born in Omaha, Nebraska in 1949. As a child, he had trouble reading and writing because he suffered from a form of dyslexia. It wasn't until high school that a composition teacher recognized his writing talent. Before becoming a writer, he worked as a carpenter, violin-maker, hypnotherapist, wildlife artist and restorer of rare artifacts. In 1983, he and his wife Jeri moved to Maine, bought land and began building their home, themselves. Goodkind's first novel, "Wizards First Rule" (1994), took a year for him to write and had a record-breaking debut. It became an international bestseller and won the praise of many writers in the fantasy genre. The sequels "Stone of… Tears" (1995) and "Blood of the Fold" (1996) experienced equal success. His fourth book, "Temple of the Winds" was published in 1997.