Justin Hunt has been working on his first novel since he was 18. At 25, it’s finally available for the world to see. 

The novel was in the pipeline for over half a decade before he felt it was ready to show the world. 

“The first book took me about a year and a half to write. I actually finished it when I was 18 … but I didn’t think it was quite ready to be published until last year,” he said. 

His first novel, Freiyon Fables: A Tale to Remember, was recently published with a new cover. 

The book follows the adventures of an escaped squirrel who finds himself between different worlds. Mr Hunt says the book promises adventure and the thrill of a good story. 

“It’s about a squirrel named Micklang who lives in our world and he wants to escape. He gets the chance to do that one day and somehow ends up in a fantasy world,” he said. 

“He meets all these characters and goes on different adventures.” 

While self-publishing isn’t always an easy path, Mr Hunt is determined. 

“My university held a book launch, which helped in terms of the publicity … I’ve also been putting it out there at local markets and selling it through Amazon.” 

​When he’s not writing, the Hillston resident is completing his Bachelor of Arts through Charles Sturt University. Mr Hunt drew inspiration from classic novels like the Chronicles of Narnia. He says he’s been told the book makes for a great fantasy bed-time story. 

Planned as part of a trilogy, Mr Hunt has plans to release the second book sometime in the near future. 

“I tend to take a different direction to most writers. They write the story and once it’s done that’s when they edit it. I tend to edit as I go.”

The book is available in both physical and e-book forms through Amazon. You can also follow him on his website.