Steven Harper Piziks was born with a name no one can reliably pronounce, so he usually writes under the pen name Steven Harper. He sold a short story on his first try way back in 1990. Since then, he's written twenty-odd novels, including the Clockwork Empire steampunk series (The Havoc Machine, The Dragon Men) and the Books of Blood and Iron fantasy series (Blood Storm, Iron Axe).

When not writing, Steven teaches English in southeast Michigan. He also plays the folk harp, wrestles with his kids, and embarrasses his youngest son in public.