R. A. Salvatore was born in Leominster, Massachusetts on January 20, 1959. He received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Communications and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English from Fitchburg State College in Fitchburg, Massachusetts. He began writing seriously in 1982 and became a full-time writer in 1990. His first novel, The Crystal Shard, was published in 1988. His other works include The Halfling's Gem; Sojourn; The Legacy; Starless Night; Vector Prime; and The Two Swords. He is also the author of numerous series including The Dark Elf Trilogy; Paths of Darkness; The Hunter's Blades Trilogy; The Cleric Quintet; Saga of the First King; Neverwinter Saga and TheSundering. He made The New… York Times Best Seller List with his title's Charon's Claw, Night of the Hunter: Companions Codex, 1 and Rise of the King.Science fiction and fantasy author Michael Stackpole was born in Wausau, Wisconsin in 1957. In 1977, he sold his first gaming project to Flying Buffalo Inc. He received a BA in history from the University of Vermont in 1979. Before becoming an author, he was a role-playing and computer game designer. In 1987, FASA Corporation hired him to write the Warrior trilogy of Battletech novels. Besides the Battletech novels, he is best known for his Star Wars and Dragoncrown War Cycle novels.