1. Stephen King 1947-present “We make up horrors to help us cope with the real ones.” “I love crime, I love mysteries, and I love ghosts.”

2. Stephen King was born in Portland, Maine in 1947, the second son of Donald and Nellie Ruth Pillsbury King. He made his first professional short story sale in 1967 to Startling Mystery Stories.

3. In 1973, he began teaching high school English classes at Hampden Academy, the public high school in Hampden, Maine. Writing in the evenings and on the weekends, he continued to produce short stories and to work on novels.

4. In the spring of 1973, Doubleday & Co., accepted the novel Carrie for publication, providing him the means to leave teaching and write full-time. He has since published over 50 books and has become one of the world's most successful writers. He has been called the “Master of Horror". His books have been translated into 33 different languages, published in over 35 different countries. There are over 300 million copies of his novels in publication.

5. Many of stories are set in Maine, some in the fictional town of Castle Rock, Maine.

6. Many of his, novellas, and short stories have been made into movies and TV programs.

7. Some of his most famous works include: The Shining Misery It The Stand The Green Mile Under The Dome (adapted to a TV show currently on ABC) “Rita Hayworth and The Shawshank Redemption” (short story adapted to movie The Shawshank Redemption) “The Body” (short story adapted to movie Stand By Me)

8. Stephen lives in Maine and Florida with his wife, novelist Tabitha King. He has 3 children and one grandchild. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s1qItKJ8RiQ