“Working with Stefan was fabulous from day one! He poured his heart and soul into this project -- he was 130% committed to helping me tell my story. My voice is the key to the whole book, and he captured it so perfectly my sister and my girlfriend both said it sounded exactly like me. Even so, I could never have written this on my own. Stefan had the skill and experience to construct the story, chapter by chapter, in a way that everybody who reads it says they can't put it down. 

He was able to take my words and create these vivid, scenes that made all those people, all those memories, come to life.  He even captured the spiritual mist that surrounded Father Paul [an angelic messenger in the story], because he had a deep emotional empathy for what I was saying. Nobody's ever captured that as good as he did. He was also easy to work with, and he never put any pressure on me if I was confused or couldn't quite remember something. He helped me remember. Now that the project is over and the book is published, I can hold it in my hand and say, This is me. This is my life. And that's an incredible feeling!

    ~ Robert "Bob Perry" Purzycki, "Bowling For The Mob: A Memoir of Redemption"

“I had the pleasure of working with Stefan on his book, Mr. Hornaday’s War, and the collaboration was nothing but productive and enjoyable. Stefan’s writing is as smart and engaging as he is. I’d highly recommend him as a writer and colleague.”

    ~ Alexis Rizzuto, editor, Beacon Press

“I have worked with Stefan Bechtel for 30 years, ever since we put out the first issues of Men's Health magazine together. We went on to co-author three books in the 1990s, and I can say with total conviction: you will not find a more professional partner for any writing endeavor. He takes a deep dive into the material and does not come back up for air until he finds the story line. Stefan is all about the story – and if it’s your story, you’re lucky to have him.”

    ~ Lawrence Stains, journalism professor, Temple University

“A riveting account of the most intense hurricane ever to strike the mainland of the United States.”

    ~ John Grisham, of “Roar Of The Heavens”

“I’ll be forever grateful to Stefan for helping me tell my agonizing story – helping me organize a coherent narrative around the crazy chaos of my childhood. He was always patient, kind and gentle while helping me revisit those long-lost memories. He asked insightful questions, and he always listened to the answers. In this way, the two of us created a

spellbinding book that I could never have written myself.”

    ~ Kit Castle, multiple personality, of “Katherine, It’s Time”

“Stefan has the knack to fully embody the voice of his subject, and put their life down on the page. His ear for the rhythm of a good story is pitch-perfect, and he isn’t afraid to follow it to its depths. He’s also a team player who raises the level of the performance of his collaborators. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Stefan as the writer of the compelling life stories that are stranger than fiction.”

    ~ Bethany Joy Carlson, editor

"Bechtel deserves unstinting admiration for writing such a smart, thoroughly researched, landmark biography,"

    ~ Rice University historian and bestselling author Douglas Brinkley, of “Mr. Hornaday’s War.” (The book was also one       of Audubon Magazine’s Notable Books of 2012.)