J. A. Merkel

"Enter the gauntlet" with fantasy and sci-fi author, J.A. Merkel. You won't regret it.

J.A. Merkel is the author of The Fall Gauntlet Series. His novel The Fourth Portal took Gold in Science Fiction & Fantasy at the Global Book Awards, and he is a two-time Honorable Mention in the Writers of the Future contest.

Growing up on a farm with eight siblings means he's never been short on material. He's taught English in South Korea, worked in Hollywood on productions including Outsiders and The Good Doctor under showrunner David Shore, and spent time at a genetics company tracing ancestral patterns through the human genome. The experience sparked a personal journey of his own, ultimately earning him dual citizenship in Hungary, the country where his grandfather was born.

A professional copywriter by trade, J.A. knows how to hook a reader in the first sentence. He's always trying to uncover what makes his characters tick and why some love to defy his plans (he's looking at you, Craeya). When he's not writing, J.A. is probably planning his next trip abroad or watching professional tennis, and definitely not daydreaming about his next Greek-inspired fantasy idea.

You can sign up for J.A. Merkel’s newsletter on his website, jamerkel dot com, to receive free content, publishing updates and early access to giveaways!