I had an idyllic childhood growing up in the woods of West Virginia, where most days were spent outdoors playing basketball, whiffle ball, two-hand touch football, capture the flag, and just about any game we could invent—Hug Ball, anyone? When I wasn’t outside, I was reading science fiction, drawing spaceships and dinosaurs, or playing board games with friends. I’ve always loved games, pretty much of any kind, and have been a longtime MMORPGer from way back.

A knee injury in seventh-grade soccer forced me to the sidelines and shifted my focus to academics. I eventually earned an appointment to the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, where I studied economics. I dabbled in snow skiing, boxing, volleyball, and played competitive handball with the club team. I was a decent student, but I didn’t always finish strong, something I came to regret when I didn’t qualify for the Air Force Institute of Technology later on. In hindsight, I wasn’t quite ready for college at 17. I had the brains, but not yet the discipline or maturity.

After graduation, I went straight into pilot training, launching a 32-year career flying the KC-135 Stratotanker. I served twelve years on active duty and the remainder in the Air Force Reserve, retiring with the rank of Lt. Colonel. I’ve had the privilege of seeing the world from the cockpit, but there are still many places I hope to visit.

I was married for 28 years before losing my wife to cancer. Together, we raised four precocious children who are now grown. I’m a proud grandfather and have been living in Indiana since 1999. In 2023, I was blessed to marry again, to another widow who turned out to be my life accomplice and the best partner imaginable.

In 2015, I completed an MFA in Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University. Though I’ve been telling stories in various forms for years, that marked the moment I began taking writing seriously. Since 2008, I’ve completed multiple manuscripts, published a paranormal short story in a shared-world anthology, and continue to work on several novel-length projects. Science fiction is my first love, but I’ve got plans for a mystery series and an epic fantasy as well.

When I’m not writing, I’m probably playing Hero Wars, exploring Spotify, drawing with pastels or pencil, reading Substack feeds, noodling on my electric guitar, or studying French. I also love a good poker game and never say no to a sharp new playlist or a sci-fi audiobook.

Some of my favorite authors include William Gibson, Ann Leckie, Peter F. Hamilton, Richard Morgan, C.J. Cherryh, Alastair Reynolds, Deborah Harkness, and Sara Donati.

To contact me directly email me at HEROHAWKES at GMAIL dot com.

Follow me on Facebook here: HeroHawkes

Or on Bluesky here: Hieronymus Hawkes

I also have a Substack called Unfettered Treacle