Today we’d like to introduce you to Hunter Roxie.
Hi Hunter, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
When I was in ninth grade (quite some time ago), the 2010s dystopian era was in full swing. I was obsessed with every book and movie they released, like The Hunger Games, Divergent, and The Maze Runner. It inspired me to create my own story, which is how Deception of Kings came to be. I wrote half of a first draft, which I’m sure was pretty messy, and then I put it away for over a decade. To be honest, I really didn’t have anyone encouraging me to write it, so I figured it was just a story that would be forced to live in my head forever. I never thought publishing was in the cards for me.
Fast forward to 2023, I mentioned the story to my boyfriend, and he asked to read it. To my surprise, after he read it, he begged me to finish it. It was the first time anyone had ever been interested in my story.
At the time, we were living and traveling in a camper full-time, so my writing process looked like a lot of coffee shops, poolside sessions, and sweating under an umbrella in the Florida heat. But ultimately, the story took shape, and it became a real dystopian book, just like the ones I always looked up to.
I published the book in 2025, and even though it took me a while to pick it back up, I’m so glad I did. Being an author has really changed the way I see the world.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I wish I could say being an independent author was the easy route, but in this industry, being any kind of author presents so many challenges and hurdles. You really have to learn how to roll with the punches, keep your head up, and move forward.
Being a sci-fi author puts me in a really strange position in a world where fantasy and romance is at its peak. For context, it’s extremely difficult for an indie author to have their books placed in large franchise bookstores, so indie authors typically find homes for their books in independent bookstores. However, many indie bookstores only accept romance or fantasy novels, which is not great for an author who writes about dystopian worlds. This has been so challenging that my book isn’t even in a bookstore at this time.
Additionally, the split for independent authors with bookstores is usually extremely poor. Indie authors typically make around $2 a sale, while the bookstore makes more. Personally, I try to do a lot of events where I sell my book at full price. If I collaborated with a bookstore, I would have to be confident that they could sell my book to an audience I couldn’t. Also, in my experience, bookstores rarely offer to feature a local author, and the book ends up on a back shelf covered in dust.
I really believe that bookstores and authors can ultimately find a better way to help each other succeed, and I’m looking forward to placing my book in a bookstore where it feels supported.
Outside of bookstore hurdles, self-publishing has been pretty challenging. My beta readers never read my book, very few of my ARC readers finished reading it before the release, and Amazon delayed my author copies before my launch. I actually had to pivot and buy from another company less than a week before the launch party. With all that being said, I have learned so much from publishing my debut novel, and I will be sure to take these lessons with me into the next release.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am the author of Deception of Kings, which is a new adult dystopian sci-fi novel with a dual POV. I grew up on the dystopian era of the 2010s, and I understand that fans are older now and may not want to read stories with a 16-year-old protagonist. My story features characters from 16 to 24, bringing fans of all ages back to the genre, which I think is really special for the sci-fi world.
I believe the way I write plot twists and spin webs throughout my stories sets me apart from others. I pride myself on being able to keep a reader on their toes, as I personally never like to know what’s going to happen next when I read or watch movies.
I’m most proud of myself for working hard to publish my book. Despite the hurdles to get here, I’ve experienced more success in less than a year than I could have ever imagined. I’m looking forward to building a relationship with my readers, and hopefully, I’ll be bringing them exciting, fast-paced stories for years to come.
Alright, so to wrap up, is there anything else you’d like to share with us?
Like I said before, I have seen more success with Deception of Kings than I ever could have imagined I would as an indie author. That being said, I would be lying if I said I never had regrets in the beginning about the route I chose to go. Since this story is so near and dear to my heart, I chose to self-publish, and I never actually queried with any agents in hopes of traditionally publishing.
Although doubt creeps up on any artist, I am confident I made the right choice for this story. Deception of Kings is a part of myself, and I would never dream of giving up the opportunity to make it authentically mine. I was able to keep the story and characters I envisioned, I was able to choose my own cover artist and art, and I was able to be on my own timeline, creating at my own pace.
I think it’s important to write the story you always dreamed of, and if it feels right, believe in yourself and self-publish. Self-publishing doesn’t mean your story wasn’t good enough to be published—it just means you knew what was right for your story. Every project you work on in the future will make you grow as a creative, and you will always have another chance to tell a different story meant for a different route.
In other news, I’m working on book two in the Kings series. Additionally, although it hasn’t been announced (until now, of course), I’m working on a novella based on a character that needed a bit more of a backstory, and I hope the readers will be equally excited for that, as well.
I’m also working on another series (unrelated to the Kings series) that I plan to query with agents once it’s completed. It will be young adult, leaning into epic-fantasy adventure territory, and I’m really looking forward to creating a new world.
Pricing:
- $20 + $5 shipping (hunterroxie.com) (Signed copy of Deception of Kings
- $19.99 paperback Amazon (Deception of Kings)
- $4.99 ebook Amazon (Deception of Kings)
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.hunterroxie.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hunterroxie_author?igsh=NmZkdXgzdmFpdGJl
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hunterstanko/
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@hunterroxie_author?_r=1&_t=ZT-972uqFIYTE6
