Steve Hillard

Steve Hillard a.k.a. Stephen Hillard is a Private Equity Entrepreneur and fantasy author.

He is author of Mirkwood: A Novel About JRR Tolkien. That work was the subject of a dispute regarding the right of publicity.

Biography

Steve Hillard grew up in Bossier City, Louisiana and Grand Junction, Colorado. He graduated from Colorado State University and later earned a degree in philosophy at Columbia University and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Colorado. Before starting his career as a private equity entrepreneur, Hillard was a teacher at Rikers Island Prison, a welder, a carpenter, and a practicing lawyer. He is the founder and head of Council Tree Communications, a private equity fund involved in the entertainment and telecom industries. He resides with his wife, Sharmaine, in Grand Junction, Colorado.

Publication of his first book, "Mirkwood: A Novel About JRR Tolkien", started in controversy. The Tolkien Estate sought to ban the book, sending a letter saying "At no time have our clients granted permission to use the name and personality of JRR Tolkien in the novel, nor would they in any foreseeable circumstances" and claiming that "unlawful commercial advantage" has been taken of the estate's "valuable rights." The Trust wanted destruction of all copies of Hillard's book and threatened legal action to obtain damages." [1][2][3] Mr. Steve Hillard responded with a lawsuit in federal court. The dispute received international attention, with articles in the London Guardian, The Hollywood Reporter, and The Christian Science Monitor. The dispute was settled in May 2011.[4] The solution was release with a modified reference to Tolkien on the cover and the disclaimer, "This is a work of fiction which is neither endorsed nor connected with The JRR Tolkien Estate or its publisher." Mirkwood went on to become an Amazon Fantasy Best Seller, recipient of a national IPPY Award, and was published world-wide in Spanish by an imprint of Planeta.

An epic spin-out of the Mirkwood's main fantasy character, Ara, is the subject of an eight-volume series co-authored with Joel Eisenberg. The first volume, "Creation: The Chronicles of Ara" and "Perdition: The Chronicles of Ara" have been released by Topos Books of Incorgnito Publishing in 2015. A companion series, "The Lost Chronicles of Ara", is written by the same duo and is slated for start in 2016. These series are the subject of an agreement with the Ovation Network to create a TV series.[5] Mr. Hillard's other writing projects include a forthcoming thriller about JFK.

List of works

References

  1. ↑ "JRR Tolkien novel Mirkwood in legal battle with author's estate Texas case will contest the right of Tolkien's literary estate to block fictional use of the Lord of the Rings author's name". The Observer. 2011-02-26. Retrieved 2011-03-24.
  2. ↑ "Novelist Sues Tolkien's Estate Over Book Featuring 'Hobbit' Author". Courthouse News. 2011-02-22. Retrieved 2011-03-24.
  3. ↑ "JRR Tolkien Estate Threatens Lawsuit Over Book Featuring Tolkien As Character". The Hollywood Reporter. 2011-02-18. Retrieved 2011-03-24.
  4. ↑ "JRR Tolkien Estate Settles Dispute Over Novel Featuring Tolkien As Character". The Hollywood Reporter. 2011-05-02. Retrieved 2012-12-12.
  5. ↑ Friedlander, Whitney. "‘Chronicles of Ara’ Miniseries in the Works at Ovation". Variety Media. Retrieved 16 November 2015.


External links



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