Haunted Heart

A fascinating look at the life of the author who created such modern classics as "Carrie," "IT, "and "The Shining.
"One of the most prolific and popular authors in the world today, Stephen King has become part of pop culture history. But who is the man behind those tales of horror, grief, and the supernatural? Where do these ideas come from? And what drives him to keep writing at a breakneck pace after a thirty year career? In this unauthorized biography, Lisa Rogak reveals the troubled background and lifelong fears that inspire one of the twentieth century's most influential authors.
King's origins were inauspicious at best. His impoverished childhood in rural Maine and early marriage hardly spelled out the likelihood of a blossoming literary career. But his unflagging work ethic and a ceaseless flow of ideas put him on the path to success. It came in a flash, and the side effects of sudden stardom and seemingly unlimited wealth soon threatened to destroy his work and, worse, his life. But he survived and has since continued to write at a level of originality few authors could ever hope to match.
Despite his dark and disturbing work, Stephen King has become revered by critics and his countless fans as an all-American voice more akin to Mark Twain than H. P. Lovecraft. "Haunted Heart" chronicles his story, revealing the character of a man who has created some of the most memorable---and frightening---stories found in literature today.

Lisa Rogak is the author of more than forty books. She lives in Charleston, South Carolina where she writes and plays piano, upright bass, and accordion in a variety of ensembles. Her most recent biographies are "The Man Behind the Da Vinci Code: An Unauthorized Biography of Dan Brown" and "A Boy Named Shel: The Life and Times of Shel Silverstein." One of the most prolific and popular authors in the world today, Stephen King has become part of pop culture history. But who is the man behind those tales of horror, grief, and the supernatural? Where do these ideas come from? And what drives him to keep writing at a breakneck pace after a thirty year career?" Haunted Heart" is a fascinating look at the life of the author who created such modern classics as "Carrie," "It, "and "The Shining." In this unauthorized biography, Lisa Rogak reveals the troubled background and lifelong fears that inspire one of the twentieth century's most influential authors.
King's origins were inauspicious at best. His impoverished childhood in rural Maine and early marriage hardly spelled out the likelihood of a blossoming literary career. But his unflagging work ethic and a ceaseless flow of ideas put him on the path to success. It came in a flash, and the side effects of sudden stardom and seemingly unlimited wealth soon threatened to destroy his work and, worse, his life. But he survived and has since continued to write at a level of originality few authors could ever hope to match.
Despite his dark and disturbing work, Stephen King has become revered by critics and his countless fans as an all-American voice more akin to Mark Twain than H. P. Lovecraft. "Haunted Heart" chronicles his story, revealing the character of a man who has created some of the most memorable--and frightening--stories found in literature today. "Rogak has produced an unauthorized biography of one of America's most popular novelists. Using King's novels and movies, as well as numerous articles and interviews, as well as other books and web sites about the author, Rogak covers all of the major events of King's life and career--his abandonment by his father when Stephen was two years old; his instant and continuing fame as a horror novelist; his many fears and phobias, his addictions to (and recovery from) alcohol and drugs; the accomplishments of his wife, Tabitha (also a novelist), and his three children; the car accident that almost killed him; and his successful efforts to go beyond genre literature and be accepted as an accomplished writer. For King's many fans, this is a good introduction to the writer and his work."--Morris Hounion, "Library Journal
""Though critical studies of his vast oeuvre abound, King--the bestselling author of the 20th century--has not been the subject of a book-length biography until this strictly serviceable study . . . She strings together the best-known facts of his life with workmanlike efficiency: his family's early abandonment by his father; the author's triumph over an impoverished childhood; his perseverance and prolificacy as a writer; his determination, despite his comfort with genre fiction, to be regarded as more than a horror writer; his struggles with alcohol and drugs; his generosity toward other writers; the accident that nearly killed him in 1999. Rogak structures her text primarily around the chronology of King's scores of books and their film adaptations . . . The facts she marshals will serve King fans not familiar with his life."--"Publishers Weekly"