Born in Europe in 1956, Robert Stermscheg was exposed to many wonderful writers over the years, among them Edgar Rice Burroughs, Alexandre Dumas and, of course, Karl May. The element Stermscheg appreciated most about their writing was how their portrayal of life opened up his imagination to vivid new worlds. Due to frequent moves necessitated by his father’s career – Stermscheg the elder was an electrical engineer – Robert became an avid reader. To soften the blow of the moves – and broaden his son’s education and imagination – Stermscheg senior supplied his son with a steady stream of books, principal among them Karl May novels.

In 1967, the entire family moved to Canada, settling in Manitoba. Robert became involved in a wide range of activities – chess, hockey and flying – to name but a few. Still, he never lost his interest in the German dialect. And the more he read May’s works, the more he wanted to share them with readers in North America.

That desire intensified after a search for english translations proved fruitless. Determined to share May’s literary magic with readers in Canada and the United States, Stermscheg vowed to one day translate his brilliant books into the english language.

After completing a satisfying career with the Winnipeg Police Service in 2006, he at last found himself in the position to pursue his dream: translating one of May’s novels into english. His wife, Toni, shared his vision and encouraged him through the early stages of the painstaking writing/translation process, becoming his proofreader.

Later in 2006, Robert contacted Nemsi Books, a publisher that specialized in bringing the books of new authors to the mainstream market. Eventually, they agreed that May’s novels had potential; Stermscheg then embarked full-time on the translation of his first book, The Prussian Lieutenant, one of May’s earlier works. Robert’s vision – and all his hard work – eventually paid off: The Prussian Lieutenant was well-received. Encouraged, he continued his translation of May with the sequel, The Marabout’s Secret. Due to hit book stores in the near future, The Marabout’s Secret introduces us to the dashing Lieutenant Gebhard von Löwenklau, Hugo’s son, pitting him against his family’s nemesis, the venemous Captain Richmonte.

These days, Robert resides with his wife Toni in Winnipeg, Manitoba. He is currently working on his third Karl May book, Buried Secrets.