Bryan Kolar started writing at the age of 9 when he put together a book about dinosaurs, based on his many sandbox adventures with them. He grew up in central Oklahoma and enjoyed a childhood of Star Wars movies, Led Zeppelin music, and Dungeons and Dragons games. The birth of "Swords of Destiny" occured on one of these gaming nights, actually. Fantasy has always been a major part of Bryan Kolar's life. Early influences include Tolkien and Lewis. Later the works of Anthony and King inspired him. "I like to play with the thin line between fantasy and horror," says Kolar. "Clive Barker and Stephen King have tilled this area quite a bit but there is still some untouched territory. I want to write a book that gives the reader a great range of emotion. I like the idea of scaring someone one minute and astounding them the next."