John Henkels

John Henkels is a civil engineer turned author whose journey to writing began through personal tragedy and unexpected grace. His debut book, Samuel's Mission: A Story of Extravagant Love (Artistic Endeavors Publishing), emerged from one of the most difficult chapters of his life — and became both a source of healing and a testament to the extraordinary love that has shaped him.

His second novel, The Alabama Prophet, grew from a lunch conversation with his son and a young woman named Carlexa Fevry, then nearing graduation from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Carlexa's heartfelt ambition to build a career in diversity and inclusion sparked something in John. Troubled by a nation still fractured by racial division more than 165 years after the Civil War, he imagined an alternate reality — one where racism is largely a relic of the past by the 2030s. The Alabama Prophet was born from that dream.

John lives in the Hilton Head Island area of South Carolina with his wife of more than thirty years, Suzanne — whose thousand-watt smile, character, and passion for fun have been his anchor through it all. Together they raised three sons in the Cleveland, Ohio area before making the Lowcountry their home.