About the Author
J. Hunter Blake is an independent fantasy author, lifelong storyteller, unapologetic geek, and firm believer that there are few problems that can’t be improved by a walk in the woods, a good story, or an unnecessarily large collection of board games.
Hunter lives in the country in Northwest Arkansas with his wife, two kids, two dogs—Bruin and Deiseal—and a cat named Onyx who, like most cats, presumably believes he owns the place.
His connection to nature runs deep. So does his family’s Scottish heritage. Celtic stories, traditions, folklore, and mythology have always fascinated him—possibly to an unhealthy degree—and those influences eventually found their way into the world of Harley Winterthorn.
The idea for Harley’s story actually began years before Hunter ever considered himself an author.
When his daughter, Harley, was born, one wonderfully geeky-dad question entered his mind: What would my little girl be like if she were the hero of her own magical adventure?
That question never really went away.
Over the years, scenes, characters, memories, and ideas slowly accumulated. Pieces of his daughter’s childhood became pieces of the story. When she was very small, for example, Harley had a stuffed rabbit she adored. She couldn’t quite say “rabbit,” so she called him “Ra-Ra.” Years later, that little memory became Ramestel Rathrel—Harley Winterthorn’s mysterious black rabbit guide, better known as Ra-Ra.
And that is really where Hunter’s stories come from: lived moments, family stories, Celtic roots, a deep love of the natural world, and probably far too many hours spent asking, Okay, but what if magic were real?
Becoming an author took a little longer.
For years, Hunter wanted to write but was terrified of failing—especially when the story meant so much to him and to the daughter who inspired it. Then, while reading one of the many independent authors he had discovered through Kindle Unlimited, something finally clicked. The book wasn’t perfect. There were mistakes. But the story was good, the author had put it into the world, and Hunter was having a great time reading it.
So why couldn’t he do the same?
That realization finally broke fear’s grip.
Today, Hunter is incredibly proud to be an indie author and even more grateful for the independent authors who unknowingly helped convince him to become one himself.
His goal is to write emotionally driven adventures that make readers laugh, worry, hope, hurt, cheer, and occasionally wonder why he is doing terrible things to characters they have grown attached to. Ideally, finishing one of his books should feel a little like riding an emotional roller coaster and sliding into home base with your emotional butt on fire.
When he isn’t writing, Hunter leads a corporate training team, hikes with his family, plays video games, and attempts to justify owning somewhere around 200 board games.
Most importantly, he hopes his journey into publishing carries one message beyond the pages of his books: If fear is keeping you from doing something that matters to you, look it dead in the eye and give it your fiercest warrior howl.
You can do it.
Hunter believes in you.
And he’s finally learning to believe in himself, too.
