Sam Stephens was born in March, 1979 on the east coast of Australia. Half way between the sprawl of Sydney and the industrial city of Newcastle, is the Central Coast. Surrounded by bush and beaches, Sam lives with his wife Elysha, lazily tapping away at his laptop when the need grips him.

Growing up on the Central Coast, Sam was always fascinated by things that go beep, buzz and flash. Narrowly escaping electrocution by various household appliances (and once even a dismantled camera), his interest in both science and technology grew.

Creating a career in programming and internet business technologies, Sam has always read novels, often to early hours of the morning, loving the way a book can bring you into another world. The first adult novels he owned were two books his father gave him, Bram Stoker's Dracula, and a novel by Clive Cussler. At the moment Sam's favorite is Michael Crichton, who style has partly inspired Sam's own writing. Another important author is Stephen King - "there are very few Stephen King novels that I haven't yet read," Sam has said.

Finally deciding to create his own world, Sam has brought his passion for technology and science together to create his debut novel, "Control".

"Control" uses realistic, yet theoretical technology to create a world not too distant from our own. A world where we may very well live within the next twenty years. This possibility is both exciting, and yet dismally frightening.

For further information: Read the first three chapters of "Control" for free on his website, www.samstephens.com

Novels:

• Control (work in progress)