Stephen Hayes

Stephen Hayes is a lifelong storyteller whose work bridges writing and visual art. A graduate of UCLA, he began his creative career as a professional illustrator and later taught art and history at the Pacific Northwest College of Art. His conceptual illustrations have appeared in publications across four continents, and his work has earned an International Association of Business Communicators Award of Excellence.

His writing has been featured in Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine, Chicken Soup for the Soul, American Legion Magazine, Not Your Mother’s Books, and the Cat Crimes anthology series, among others. He is also the creator of The Chubby Chatterbox, a long-running blog known for its reflective autobiographical storytelling.

The Return of the Mary Celeste, inspired by a lifelong fascination with adventure and maritime mystery, is Hayes’s first novel and will be published by Sūtra House in March 2026. He lives with his wife, Sue, in Ridgefield, Washington.