Do children born into poverty become impoverished adults? Oftentimes, they do – pitfalls and roadblocks to advancement are everywhere. Although it may not seem like it, growing up poor can be a tremendous motivator. For one man, his impoverished youth fueled an intense desire to succeed, and made him work harder and smarter to create a life he always wanted – one of emotional fulfillment, financial security, and happiness.
Meet Rik Stone, former IT professional for the Ford Motor Company-turned-author of the chilling new novel, Birth of an Assassin. The book creates a vivid portrait of the Jewish culture living in the Post-War Russian era. Inspired by his wife’s Jewish ancestry, Stone had the desire to capture this little-known, tumultuous time of unrest in the former Soviet Union in a serialized novel.
Stone, who grew up very poor in the slums of England’s northeast corridor, withdrew from school at the age of 15. He went on to work in a variety of jobs to support himself including jobs in the shipyards and in the merchant navy.
“I left the navy when I was in charge of my own destiny and moved to the South East of England where I worked in a quarry until redundancy took me to Ford Motor Company at the Dagenham plant,” says Stone. “It was in this job I discovered mathematics and computing and completed a BSc. degree with The Open University.” Ultimately, Stone took control of his future and educated himself to create a satisfying life for him and his family.
Website: Rik-stone.simdif.com
Birth of an Assassin is available on Amazon.com and BN.com. Ebooks are available on Kindle and Kobo.
