Baxley, Jon F. 1947(?)–

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Baxley, Jon F. 1947(?)–

PERSONAL:

Born c. 1947, in Hondo, TX; children. Education: University of Texas at Arlington, B.A., 1969. Religion: Protestant.

ADDRESSES:

Home— Irving, TX. E-mail— FiveStarAuthor@aol.com.

CAREER:

Freelance writer, historian, editor, and Internet entrepreneur. Previously worked for the U.S. Information Agency, stationed in the Soviet Union. Military service: Served in the U.S. Army.

AWARDS, HONORS:

Best Short Fiction on the Web award for "Red Flags."

WRITINGS:

Through the Spirit's Door: A True Story of the Hmong People at War, 1975-1980, HYCO International (Arlington, TX), 1993.

The Scythian Stone(e-book), Time Warner Books, 2002.

The Blackgloom Bounty(sequel to The Scythian Stone), Five Star (Waterville, ME), 2006.

Also author of a number of short stories, including "Red Flags."

SIDELIGHTS:

Jon F. Baxley is a Texas-based writer with a diverse career, his interests ranging from novels to history to editing, to using the Internet as a tool to further his goals. After serving in the United States Army and also spending time in the Soviet Union as part of his work for the United States Information Agency (USIA), Baxley became a full-time editor, writer, and ghost writer for several years. During this period he wrote Through the Spirit's Door: A True Story of the Hmong People at War, 1975-1980. Eventually, however, he became more interested in writing fiction and left his other work behind in favor of becoming a novelist. Much of his writing is heavily influenced by his experiences in the military and the USIA, particularly his knowledge of the cold war, but Baxley himself considers his stories to be fantasy.

The Scythian Stone, first published as an e-book, kicks off what Baxley plans to be a multivolume series. The book is followed by the second installment,The Blackgloom Bounty, which actually reworks the first volume and expands upon it in order to capture the audience that might have missed The Scythian Stone. As a result,The Blackgloom Bounty received a more traditional publishing presentation as a hardback release. Although Baxley has referred to his series as medieval fantasy, it in fact combines facets from multiple time periods and characters, including Merlin, sixteenth-century Scots, and classical Greeks. The story follows Daynin McKinnon, a young Highlander who is the last survivor of his clan. Daynin finds himself entangled with an apprentice of Merlin, called Kruzurk Makshare, and the two form an alliance in hopes of achieving their individual goals more easily than they might in solo attempts; Daynin wants to reclaim his family's land, while Kruzurk wants to defeat a rival sorcerer, also taught by Merlin, called Seed of Cerberus. A contributor for the Green Man Review Web site objected to the Earth-bound fantasy mixing such a multitude of cultures and ideologies, calling the result "a confused mess of a story." However, Amy Brozio-Andrews, in a review on the Absolute Write Web site, remarked that the story "draws readers in with its swift plotting, dynamic characterization, and blend of magic, military, and history." She concluded: "Baxley's energetic and engaging voice spins a captivating story, and I look forward to the next book in the series." A reviewer for Publishers Weekly praised the book for "a fast pace, sly humor, amusing dialogue and a richly researched background."