RICHARD GRACE

BEYOND THE PAGE.

THE LIFE BEHIND THE FICTION.

THE GRIT BEHIND THE VOICE.

Richard, a native of Massachusetts and Colby College graduate, is a writer, martial artist, and global traveler whose stories are forged from years navigating the inspirational landscapes and raw underground currents of Latin America. His debut novel, Rio Insidious Connections—As Real As It Gets, marks the start of The Insidious Trilogy, a high-stakes, character-driven journey across Brazil, Colombia, and Panama.

His obsession with adventure began early. As a high school freshman, he was captivated by the televised explorations of Jacques Cousteau and even wrote to him in hopes of interning aboard his iconic research vessel, Calypso. To his surprise, Cousteau replied with a signed letter urging him to stay focused on his passions. Soon after, Richard reached out to treasure hunter Mel Fisher—then deep in his epic, years-long search for the sunken Spanish galleon Atocha—angling for a spot on his next dive.

Not long after, Richard discovered THE TREASURE HUNTER by Robin Moore, a real-life account of adventurer Howard Jennings. Hooked by the dream of chasing Inca gold and pirate booty across South America and the Caribbean, Richard tracked down the book's publisher in an effort to join Jennings on his next expedition. But he was too late—Jennings had died in a plane crash in 1990 while in route to a dig in what was then Yugoslavia.

Undeterred, Richard tracked down Moore himself. Fate placed the renowned author of THE FRENCH CONNECTION and THE GREEN BERETS just one town over in Concord, Massachusetts. The two met at the historic Colonial Inn, where Moore spoke candidly about a life built on risk, storytelling, and perseverance, handing Richard a signed copy of his latest book, The White Tribe. One of his most prized possessions to this day. That meeting set his compass permanently toward the unknown.

After high school, Richard set his sights on trekking Mount Kilimanjaro, roomed with a student during a semester at UC San Diego from Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula, and plotted an off-the-grid treasure hunt across jungle and coast—but those plans got shelved when college dues came knocking. To repay student loans and finance the trip, Richard worked as a lumberjack—physical labor that mirrored his relentless drive. Though the Yucatán expedition never materialized, the fire behind it remained.

Eventually, Brazil called. Richard trained in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in Rio, helped run the café he owned in Porto Seguro, and immersed himself in the country's culture through countless return trips. Back in the States, he earned a Black Belt in American Kenpo, sharpening the resilience and discipline that shape both his life and risk-taking attitude.

He draws from those intense personal experiences to craft fiction that hits close to the bone—unfiltered and visceral. He doesn't just write about danger—he's brushed up against it. He doesn't just describe obsession—he's lived with it. Whether on the mat, in the streets, or behind a desk, the world he writes is the one he knows. No handholding, no sugarcoating. If you're here, you're ready. Strap in.

In addition to RIO INSIDIOUS CONNECTIONS, Richard is completing Book Two: THE COLOMBIAN CONFLUENCE—Twisted Paths and working on Book Three: PANAMA—The Final Chapter.

He's also writing C I T Y K I D—From Nothin' to Somethin'—Truth be Told, a standalone, in-your-face account portraying the complexities of growing up in a troubled family and rising above all odds. His fifth standalone, STROKE—Seconds Kill, is a real-life account plunging readers into the paralyzing stroke that left his mother trapped in a body that wouldn't listen, and the relentless fight he waged every day against hospitals, insurance companies, and time itself to make her whole again.