Tess Hunter
Founder, Author of “The Spark & the Star”
When asked the question, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” my answer was easy — everything. I wanted to be an astrophysicist, a firefighter, a neurosurgeon, an archeologist, an Air Force pilot, a pirate, a Hobbit, a Jedi, a witch (I’m still holding out hope for that one). It took an embarrassingly long time for me to realize that most of my dream jobs were born out of whatever media I was consuming at the time. I soon realized that if I couldn’t live in the worlds of my books, television shows, and movies, surely the next best thing was to write them.
Since that discovery, I have written numerous screenplays and four SFF novels. In my day job, I am the managing editor of the newspaper the Vermont Standard based in Woodstock, Vermont. The Standard is New England’s oldest weekly newspaper and has won numerous New England Newspaper of the Year awards.
Before moving to Vermont, I lived in Colorado and adapted novels into mobile games. My Bachelor’s degree is in Film with a specialization in Screenwriting from Central Washington University. My Master’s is in Professional Writing from Falmouth University, based in Cornwall. Several of my screenplays achieved high honors in various industry competitions, including the semifinals of the PAGE Awards.
I have lived in every region of the U.S. and in the U.K. The only thing I love more than my fandoms is my dog — a 14-year-old chiweenie I rescued because she had the same name as a character in one of my screenplays.
My adult fantasy novel “The Spark & the Star” will be published May 11. Pre-orders available now at our shop.
Current Projects
The Spark & the Star
Adult Fantasy on sale May 11, Pre-Orders Now Open
Every 25 years, the empire of Sivka is born again as magic dies. Who will survive the chaos?
The Imperator. During the Luncycle, alkhemy reigns supreme. But every quarter-century, the miracles brewed from the blood of alkhemists vanish. None benefit more from the upheaval than the cruel Imperator.
The Alkhemist. An ambitious girl who will do anything to save herself from an illness only the Philosopher’s Stone can cure. Unfortunately, the one Stone known to exist belongs to the Imperator.
The Boy King. A young man raised on the memory of his family’s slaughter. Desperate for revenge, he intends to overthrow the Imperator and reclaim his throne.
The Prophetic Sister. An idealist who only wants to keep her family safe, she and her sister join the boy’s revolution in pursuit of the Stone, risking their lives — and hearts — in the process.
For when the Suncycle dawns one year from now, they will all bleed red.
A story that subverts tropes and bridges the gap between Epic Fantasy and Romantasy. The Spark & the Star is ideal for readers who were obsessed with Little Women, Anastasia, and Swan Princess as children, but enjoy the twists and turns and occasional brutality of Game of Thrones as adults.