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Richard Paul Evans | |
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| Born | October 11, 1962 Salt Lake City, Utah, U.S. |
| Education | Cottonwood High School University of Utah (BA) |
| Genre | Novels |
| Notable works | Michael Vey series, The Christmas Box |
| Spouse | Keri Evans |
| Children | 5 |
Richard Paul Evans (born October 11, 1962) is an American author, best known for writing The Christmas Box and, more recently, the Michael Vey series.
Evans graduated from Cottonwood High School in Murray City, Utah. He graduated with a B.A. degree from the University of Utah in 1984.
While working as an advertising executive he wrote a Christmas story for his children. Unable to find a publisher or an agent, he self-published the work in 1993 as a paperback novella entitled The Christmas Box. He distributed it to bookstores in his community. The book became a local bestseller, prompting Evans to publish the book in this region.
The next year The Christmas Box hit #2 on The New York Times Best Seller list, inciting an auction for the publishing rights among the world's top publishing houses. Evans signed a publishing deal with Simon & Schuster, who paid him $4.2 million in an advance. [1]
Released in hardcover in 1995, The Christmas Box became the first book to simultaneously reach the number-one position on the New York Times bestseller list for both paperback and hardcover editions. That same year, the book was made into a television movie of the same title, starring Richard Thomas and Maureen O'Hara.
Evans has subsequently written 36 nationally best-selling books, [2] including some for children, with conservative Christian themes and appealing to family values. His 1996 book Timepiece was made into a television movie featuring Naomi Watts, James Earl Jones, and Ellen Burstyn, as were The Locket (1998), which starred Vanessa Redgrave; A Perfect Day (2006), which starred Rob Lowe and Christopher Lloyd; The Mistletoe Promise (2016), which starred Jaime King and Luke Macfarlane; and The Mistletoe Inn (2017), which starred Alicia Witt and David Alpay.
In the spring of 1997, Evans founded Christmas Box House International, an organization devoted to building shelters and providing services for abused and neglected children. As of 2017, more than 35,000 children had been served by Christmas Box House facilities. [3]
Evans, a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, lives in Salt Lake City, Utah with his wife Keri, five children, and one grandson. [2]
He founded the group "Tribe of Kyngs" to combat feelings of isolation among men and the belief that "masculinity is no longer valued". Initiation into the group includes a coronation ceremony. [4]
In 2018, allegations were made against Evans (and relayed by author Shannon Hale, among other allegations) that he had sexually harassed an author at a convention. [5] [6] Accusations included repeatedly hugging, groping, and kissing her without consent at the Utah-based FanX Convention. [7] [8]
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The Christmas Box (ISBN 9781566840286) is an American novel written by Richard Paul Evans and self-published in 1993.
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Michael Vey: The Prisoner of Cell 25 is a 2011 young adult/science fiction novel by Richard Paul Evans, the first book in a octology published by Glenn Beck's owned Mercury Ink. The story follows Michael Vey, a teenager with the ability to pulse or surge electricity out of his hands, as he ventures to California to save his mother from a mysterious organization.
Christopher Douglas Stewart is an American politician, author, and businessman who served as the U.S. representative for Utah's 2nd congressional district from 2013 until his resignation in 2023. A member of the Republican Party, he is known for his bestsellers Seven Miracles That Saved America and The Miracle of Freedom: Seven Tipping Points That Saved the World, as well as his series The Great and Terrible.
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Michael Vey: Rise of the Elgen is the second book by Richard Paul Evans in the heptalogy of Michael Vey series. It carries on where the first book left off in search for Michael's mother.
Michael Vey: Battle of the Ampere is the third book of the seven book Michael Vey series, written by Richard Paul Evans. It was published on September 17, 2013 by Simon Pulse/Mercury Ink. The first book in the series, Michael Vey: The Prisoner of Cell 25, was #1 on the New York Times Best Seller list.
Michael Vey: Hunt for Jade Dragon is the fourth book of the heptalogy series of books Michael Vey, written by Richard Paul Evans. The first book in the series, Michael Vey: The Prisoner of Cell 25, was #1 on the New York Times Best Seller list.
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Michael Vey: Storm of Lightning is the fifth book in Richard Paul Evans series Michael Vey, a heptalogy. It was released in September 2015.
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Dilly Court is an English author of popular historical fiction and family saga novels also writing under the pseudonym of Lily Baxter. She published her first book when she was 65 and, as of 2023, her novels have sold more than four million copies.
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