Who Am I?
The Short Version
My name is Arthur Drake and I am an indie horror writer. I used to write sword and sorcery but have since pivoted to horror. My latest book is Knights Of The Blood. When I am not writing I enjoy spending time with my wife and our two dogs as well as training MMA. It is my dream to one day become a full time self-published author and it is what I work towards every day. Thank you for visiting the site, please do not hesitate to reach out.
-Arthur Drake
The Long Version (3 Parts)
Part 1: William Wallace, An Impressionable Boy, & The Power Of Love
We all have dreams.
Good dreams, bad dreams, and many in-between.
I hope that you accomplish your dreams. The good ones at least.
And I wanted to tell you a little bit about mine.
Braveheart was my favorite movie growing up, something about it resonated deeply with my soul.
And I only recently discovered what I think that was.
From a young age I would look at the long hours my dad spent at work, the stress it put on him and the family, and how much it bothered him at times that he could not always be there for us when he wanted.
I knew I never wanted to do that.
I never wanted to have my time monopolized by something or someone that I didn’t love.
I wanted freedom. Like William Wallace in Braveheart. But instead of freedom from tyrannical English rule I wanted freedom of my time.
Because if you think about it, it’s the one resource that you cannot get back.
You can make more money, you can gain more power, but you can never get more time.
And time is ultimately what matters.
And writing to me is a way to free myself, to free my time. To scream “Freedom” at the top of my lungs while I spend my time doing the things I want.
With the people that I love.
Being in the stillness with my wife…
Spending time with my grandparents while they are still here…
Helping the community around me and brightening the lives of others…
Writing, training, and just in general soaking up the good things of this world.
Telling my dad I love him and that I’m thankful for all he’s done.
I want to be free to do these things. Not “fit” them into a weekend or a few hours here or there. But to spend my life doing them.
Because when I go to my grave I want my heart to be spent. I want those I love to know it beyond a shadow of a doubt.
I want to be able to heed the call in my heart and go where I feel I am needed and do what I feel I need to do.
I don’t want to be tethered down by things that are not meaningful.
So more than anything it is love that motivates me.
And perhaps it’s a foolish dream. At times it certainly feels that way. But nevertheless, I think it is a worthy dream and a dream worth pursuing.
So, I invite you along on this journey with me
For freedom and for meaning.
For love.
Together I hope we can achieve this dream. Through story and its transformational power.
And from the depths of my heart.
Thank you for allowing me to share this ride with you.
I look forward to all the memories made.
Yours Truly
-Arthur Drake
Part 2: Why I Write The Horrible Things That I Write
Just kidding.
Well, mostly.
Because here’s the thing. I do sort of write horrible things.
At least sometimes.
After all, I chose the genre of dark fantasy horror when there are plenty of other ones out there.
Like light romance, snappy action adventure, and a whole lot more.
And I chose one with “dark” and “horror” in the name.
And here’s the thing.
I’m a positive guy.
So why on earth did I choose to write in such a genre?
And the truth is,
It’s complicated.
But that’s why we’re here.
So let me first say that horror was not my first choice. Growing up I tended more towards fantasy, but it had to be fantasy of a certain kind.
It had to have heroes.
But the world had to be dark.
The whole “nihilistic, no one is a hero” stuff bored me. As did the invincible hero where everything goes right and is easy also bored me.
Neither do I feel match reality.
And fantasy is all about matching reality.
No, really. I mean that.
When I write my stories I want to leave a mark beyond sheer entertainment. I want you to come away from them feeling something, changed in a way.
And the best way I know how to do that is to reflect the real world in my stories.
And here’s the thing about the real world.
It can be a very dark and a very grim place. But that’s not all it is. There is also heroism and heroes. And by their example I think we can learn much.
So maybe a better genre for my works would be heroic dark fantasy horror, but I’m pretty sure they don’t have that genre on amazon (at least not yet, fingers crossed)
Because each word describes a part of why I write.
Dark fantasy – I think myth is the most powerful way to see reality. We strip away the things like technology, years, styles, and other stuff that will be gone in a decade and replace it with something that is timeless. The world of myth and fantasy, which reflects the real world in its juxtaposition of dark and light.
Horror – We will all be faced with horrors in our time on this earth. Maybe not face eating monsters but horrors nevertheless. It’s reality. This is the dark side of existence.
Heroic – Despite the darkness there is light. This is the light part of the equation. That while mankind has both evil and good in them, the good can prevail, despite the darkness. Though it takes courage, wisdom, love, sacrifice, and more.
A scene comes to mind that reminds me of all this.
It’s a scene I wrote where the hero just watched a guy rip his skin off until he died. Barely a scene later he is surrounded by evil in a land of death. But there he finds his friend. Together they light a fire and sing hymns to keep the darkness away, if only for a few moments.
And that right there,
That reflects the mythology of life.
Darkness and light, mankind in the middle.
I need horror to show the dark.
I need heroes to show the light.
And I need fantasy to show the truth.
Horror…but with hope.
Hence why I write what I write.
It’s not for everyone, but it’s what I feel is true.
And through sharing truth I think the world improves, or at least what I believe to be true.
I’m not saying this is the only way to write. There are plenty of smarter people than me who write differently.
But this is how I see it.
And I’m excited to share it with you.
I hope my truth sparks something in you, in what you know is true, and we can learn from each other.
Because ultimately that’s what it’s all about,
Thank you so much for letting me share this with you.
It means the world to me.
-Arthur Drake
Part 3: A Few Things You Might Not Know About Me
One thing that I love about the author community is that authors come in all shapes and sizes. Writing is something that attracts people from all walks of life and gives voice to everyone.
I know we’ve talked quite a bit over the past week or two. You’ve gotten to know me better as an author and as a person.
And I want to continue that.
One thing I love to do is have conversations with my readers. On all aspects of life. Whether discussing genre tropes, recent books read, or just life in general.
And with that in mind I’d like to share a few things that you probably do not know about me and may have never suspected.
So, a little more about me…
First off, my life would not be the same it is today without MMA.
I have been training MMA (mixed martial arts) for about five years now, and it has been life changing. When I first started, I was in a rough patch in my life. I was directionless and unsure of where to go.
I had bad habits that were catching up with me and was doing my best to go on the straight and narrow. So, the first thing I naturally did was go to church.
And ironically it was at church that I discovered MMA.
A man there stood up and talked about his BJJ ministry. I had heard of BJJ before and had boxed in middle school and wrestled in high school.
So, I thought, what the heck I’ll give it a try.
I never expected the change it would have on my life. Suddenly bad habits that I had been struggling with for years started to fall away. I was more respectful, I was kinder, gentler, and more confident.
I started boxing and eventually transitioned to MMA. For me there is nothing more relaxing than sparring in the cage. It’s a place where things are simple and make sense for me.
A place to be immersed in the moment, a form of meditation and bonding. And for me it was absolutely life changing.
From that one trip to church, I started a lifelong habit that eventually led to me meeting my wife who also attended the class.
Another thing about me is that I love living in the American Midwest. I lived half my life in the Midwest and half my life near a beach in a place most people dream of living.
And while the beach place was nice…it never felt like home.
It’s only with fields of green, wide open plains, barns, lush green hills, and friendly people do I truly feel at home.
I moved back to the American Midwest recently and have been loving it. It’s slower and simpler than where I lived before and truth be told, I wouldn’t have it any other way.
When someone tells me the worst thing about a place is that it’s “boring” I say that’s a very nice worst thing to have.
I love hearing the birds chirping in the morning, I love seeing the fog rise off the fields and come down from the hills, I love being far away from the hustle and bustle of the modern world.
Another thing about me was that I was homeschooled when younger. I’ve been both homeschooled and went to public school, again about half and half. I think homeschooling gave me a unique perspective on a great many things and is part of why I am so fervent about finding freedom for me and my family again.
While other kids were hunched over desks in sterile classrooms, I was able to explore the woods and forests, I was able to read great books, I was able to do karate and train, and I was able to spend my time as I wanted.
I think homeschooling really puts something in your heart that fights against being stuck in the 9-5 grind (or 5-5 grind for many).
One of my dreams would be to open a school that teaches both MMA (a physical discipline) as well as classical education (a mental discipline). I think combining the two would make for a great foundation for so many.
Especially if combined with a good leadership program.
With a more free flowing schedule.
But I’m getting ahead of myself.
I’m not saying everyone should like the things above. We all have different things that work for us. What’s right for me might be dead wrong for you.
And that’s perfectly okay.
But I wanted to share part of myself with you. So you could get an idea about the author behind the books you are reading.
What about you?
Anything you want to share?
I’d love to hear.
Just shoot me an email and let me know.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Best Wishes,
-Arthur Drake