In the Author Spotlight ...
William "Bill" Hill
From Otter Creek Press

 

 

A native of Indianapolis, Indiana, author William "Bill" Hill spent many weekend nights watching Science Fiction and Nightmare Theater. In fact, he first learned to read through superhero comic books, then spy-thrillers, SciFi and finally fantasy novels. Now, Bill shares his love of fantasy and horror in his numerous novels for young adults.

"Shortly after 1st grade, I discovered Stan Lee's Marvel Comics, so for a long time, I wanted to write and draw superhero comics," Bill says. "This was after my mom moved me to a distant school an hour away because I wasn't learning to read. A lot of play time was lost in the change. I had to promise I'd learn to read and prove it after a year, so I could return locally for second grade. I missed walking to Skiles Test Elementary where all my friends attended.  During second grade, I caught the mumps and spent weeks at home recovering. That's when I started writing and drawing my own comics."

"Reading also kept me out of trouble when my parents were involved in fund raising and campaigning, as my father was a statesman for Indiana," explains Bill. "So if I was reading, I was out of the way. My teachers often said I was a volume readers instead of a tasteful one. I enjoyed creative writing assignments, writing a novella in 7th and 9th grades. If I wasn't involved in sports or games, I was reading or drawing."

While at Vanderbilt University, some of Bill's reachers suggested that he should try to get some of his writings published. "By then, I was reading the fantasy genre. I read a novel, Dragons of Autumn Twilight, and thought I could do this, but it didn't happen for another decade, until after I had an MBA, had worked for several years in the corporate world, and thought I would be dead by 40 from stress," he laughs.

In February of 1987, Bill bought his first home computer, worked the daily grind 8-6 dealing with people problems in Human Resources, and moved to a house on a lake without any phone or TV. "I wrote whenever I could for two years. After surviving a house fire, I decided life was too short not chase my dreams. That novel didn't interest a publisher, but one about vampires buried under a lake and seeking to find a way to survive in the daylight led to my first novel, Dawn of the Vampire, published in 1992," he says.

Bill continued writing, completing eleven titles for Otter Creek Press - Dawn of The Vampires, Vampire's Kiss, Magic Bicycle, Chasing Time, California Ghosting, The Vampire Hunters, Wizard Sword, Dragon Pawns, Vegas Vampires, The Vampire Hunters Stalked, and Impatient Fire. "The Magic Bicycle was chosen for Editor's Choice for ALA's book list," says Bill. "It, the sequel Chasing Time, California Ghosting, and The Vampire Hunters are on the AR list, so kids in school can read them and get credit. I would guess my early English teachers would be amused. The Vampire Hunters and The Vampire Hunters Stalked often having waiting lists to read them at middle school libraries."

Bill has been married to his wonderful wife, Kat, for 20 years. She's an online teacher for a virtual charter school in Nevada and supports his writing and travels. The couple have a teenage son, Brin Ryan, who goes to virtual school."We're all at home trying to work in separate rooms. Probably one reason it takes so long to finish a novel," Bill laughs.

When not writing, Bill enjoys snowskiing and hiking. He is currently close to finishing Prey of the Spirit Bear, a story about a 1/2 blood Native American who would prefer to be video gaming than adventuring. "The book takes place in several National Parks," says Bill "The female lead is a junior park ranger at Arches National Park. The other is a Boy Scout. There were be art at the beginning of each chapter, landscapes of the unusual places and NA stylized monsters and animal totems." He is also working on the third in the series of the Jules and the Runt Dragon story.

 

To learn more about William Hill and Otter Creek Press, visit
http://www.otterpress.com/

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