A Bit About Me

Ariel Hudnall is a writer, book marketing specialist, and an avid tea drinker. She is the Managing Director of Zg Stories, a marketing agency specializing in book publicity, author platform development, and storytelling stratagem. She holds a Master of Publishing from Simon Fraser University, and a BA in Japanese Language & Culture from the University of California, Berkeley.

She has lived in Louisiana, Mendocino, the Bay Area, Tokyo, Kyoto, and across British Columbia. She now lives and works on the unceded ancestral territory of the Dakeł Keyoh (ᑕᗸᒡ ᗲᘏᑋ), Tŝilhqot’in Nen, and Dënéndeh peoples, as well as the Lhtako Dene Nation.

Within the publishing world, she has worked (or volunteered) as a beta and slush reader, developmental editor, acquisitions editor, book designer, digital advertiser, publicist, marketing consultant and strategist, as well as workshop facilitator. This work has brought her to the offices of some of the world’s largest publishers, to indie and hybrid presses, self-published communities, and in collaboration with authors at every stage of their marketing journey, writing in every conceivable genre.

When she is not working, Ariel pursues creative writing, gardening, and baking, the latter two of which are frequently shared on her Instagram.

61 responses to “A Bit About Me”

  1. Hello Alex Hurst Nice to meet here through Erica(blogger). You have a great story blog here.Keep writing and Enjoy
    Thanks Cyril

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    1. Thanks so much Cyril. I appreciate it!

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      1. Always Welcome.Alex Hurst.Keep writing Good luck

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  2. compliment for your long way and development from
    – “…catching fish and snakes with bare hands, falling out of magnolia trees.
    – …on a journey across the United States, from the white sands of Pensacola, FL, to the razor’s edge of the Hell’s Backbone in Utah.
    – …finally landed in Marin, CA, where lotus eaters tried to make city folk out of you (but miserably failed.)
    – …currently living in Kyoto, Japan, working as a writer…”

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    1. Thank you very much! It has been a very, very long journey. Maybe one day I’ll actually write the whole thing down, haha.

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  3. I’m so happy to find you again. Thanks for the advice, I will be going back to underemployed. And I love your Ray Bradbury quote.

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    1. It is a pretty awesome quote, haha. And happy to hear you are going back to underemployed. 🙂 That’s great news.

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  4. […] and admins on the Fiction Writers community on Facebook, assisting emerging writers.  Read her biography […]

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  5. I recently wrote my first novel, “FAST ESCAPE” and my book covers designed by EBOOK INDIE COVERS. Love her work !
    Also, do you assist, work with emergent writers/authors, editing? Look forward to hearing from you.
    Dr. Bonnie Vause, Ed.D. & Author of Fast Escape on KINDLE/Amazon.com
    Find me on FB: Bonnie Vause, Author or Bonnie Vause (bonniewvause@yahoo.com)

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    1. Hello Dr. Vause,

      Yes, I assist when possible, though my editing schedule is pretty full at present. What are you specifically looking for? I may be able to connect you with some others who aren’t as busy as me. If you’d rather not discuss here, feel free to send me an email at info@alex-hurst.com.

      All the best!

      Alex

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  6. Thanks for the tips you left on my blog, Alex. Just checked out your books on Amazon. Those reviews are great for the horror anthology!

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    1. Thank you! And you’re most welcome. 🙂

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  7. It appears you’ve lived a thousand lives, Alex. I imagine you are a wellspring of ideas just bubbling to the surface and desperate for voice.
    I look forward to reading many more of your words!

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    1. Thank you! I’ve lived in a lot of places, yes, and done a lot of things, but there’s still so much I want to do!

      Thank you so much for the comment. I love your blog!

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      1. Right back atcha, Alex. 😉

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  8. Hello Alex! Thanks for stopping by and liking my post. That was one of the best About pages I’ve read in a while!

    We’re both in Japan. Until the end of the month, I’m still in Gunma. Loved visiting Kyoto a few years ago. How long have you lived there? Compared to the countryside with rivers and hurricanes, Kyoto is the opposite. I grew up in the mountains outside of San Diego, with the rattle snakes and scorpions. In comparison, yes, Kyoto must be like Mars.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thanks so much, Ciara! It took a while to compose it, so I’m glad that it was entertaining. 🙂

      I’ve lived in Kyoto for about four years now. Gunma looks like such a beautiful place, but I haven’t visited yet. Hopefully someday! I live right next to the mountains in Kyoto, so I still get my nature fix, but also live close enough to the trains for convenience, so it all balances out.

      I love San Diego! Will you be going back to SD when you leave, or are you off to another adventure in a new place?

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      1. It looks like San Diego right now. Excited to be going back. It’s been almost 18 years since I left, though I visit family there regularly. You’ve passed through SD in your varied travels?

        Nature fixes, a necessity of life!

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  9. Hi Alex.

    My, you have already lived an eventful life, truly exciting! Thanks, by the way, for dropping in and joining my small community, it’s much appreciated. 😀

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    1. Not at all, SD!

      Happy to connect. Looking forward to future blogging adventures. ^-^

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  10. It is so nice to meet you. Thank you for following my blog. It’s always nice to meet another well travelled Southern Girl. I look forward to reading your work.

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  11. Pleasure to meet you, Alex. Looking forward to all your posts! 🙂

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    1. Same here! ^_^ Seems like we have a lot in common.

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  12. Hello Alex! Thank you so much for visiting and liking my blog! I really appreciate that. I also would like to say that your blog is amazing, the way you tell stories is so simple and yet fascinating! I look forward for more 🙂

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    1. Wow, how sweet of you Veronica! Thank you very much. And not at all…. your photography is stellar, and is definitely getting *my* creative juices flowing. 😉 See you around!

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  13. I’ve nominated you for the Sunshine Award. Congrats and keep up the great work 🙂

    Sunshine Award

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you so much! I will be sure to respond after the April madness! And congrats on getting the award yourself!

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  14. Hi Alex
    Thanks for gracing my review blog with some life 🙂
    I live in Sendai and blog about books at bensbooks.org, EFL teaching at sendaiben.org (I have a thing about .org sites, I guess), and money at retirejapan.info
    Look forward to reading more of your writing.

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    1. Wow! Small world! 😀 That’s awesome. I’ll have to follow both of those blogs as well then. ^_^ And happy to meet you!

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  15. […] one of my favorite blogs I found (who found me?) during the A to Z Challenge, Alex Hurst and her eponymous blog. As the tagline reads, Alex is a Fantasy Writer in Kyoto, which is awesome. However, during the […]

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  16. Hi Alex,
    Thanks for finding and following my blog. I look forward to reading your posts too 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Same goes! Happy to have you. 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  17. Hi Alex

    Thank you for showing an interest in my writing. But I’ve decided its time to move beyond the blogosphere, so I will be closing my blog at the end of the month.

    Best of luck in your pursuits,

    Jack

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    1. I’m sorry to hear that, Jack. Hopefully, whatever your next pursuit is, it brings you lots of happiness. Good luck with everything. 🙂

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  18. Hi there. Excellent post on the Hero. One of my biggest dreams in life is to visit Kyoto!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. If you can make it, you definitely should! It’s a beautiful place. 🙂

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  19. Really loving your blog.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you very much. That’s kind of you to say. 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Don’t mention it, you should check out my blog.

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        1. I was just doing so, haha.

          Liked by 1 person

          1. Thanks, hope you like what you see.

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  20. So glad, A to Z this year brought me to your blog. 🙂 You have a wonderful blog and there is so much for me to learn.

    Liked by 1 person

  21. […] Melissa Barker-Simpson, Allison of Eclectic Alli, Urszula of Confessions of a Broccoli Addict and Alex Hurst. What an amazing group so far! And of course, those interested in guest posts are still welcome to […]

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  22. […] Melissa Barker-Simpson, Allison of Eclectic Alli, Urszula of Confessions of a Broccoli Addict and Alex Hurst. What an amazing group so far! And of course, those interested in guest posts are still welcome to […]

    Liked by 1 person

  23. You and your blog are so awesome, I’ve nominated you for an award. 🙂

    Real Neat Blog Award

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  24. […] are my nominees: Alex Hurst, Atherton’s Magic Vapour, Cindy Grigg, Eclectic Alli, Not a Punk Rocker, Only Fragments. (As […]

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  25. […] Monster Monday this week, Alex Hurst will be here posting about the first in what will be a series of posts about Japanese lady […]

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  26. Hi Alex,

    I’ve just nominated you for the Creative Blogger Award. If you’re interested, all the information is in in my post here (https://princessofdragons.wordpress.com/2015/06/22/creative-blogger-award/). If not, feel free to ignore this. Good luck with the move!

    Princess

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you very much, Princess. That was very thoughtful of you, and I’ll need all the luck I can manage! 🙂 Appreciate it, and congratulations to you, as well.

      Liked by 1 person

  27. […] your About page, you talk about travelling around the U.S. while growing up “in the wilds of the south.” […]

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  28. Thank you for the follow it is an honour and I look forward to reading your blog!! xxx

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  29. Fantasy writer; I’m a hog for SF and fantasy. You certainly have my attention.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you very much! That is quite the compliment. 🙂 Of course I really like the atmospheres in your photography, so I’m excited to see more over time.

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  30. Hi, I’ve nominated your blog for a Creative Blogger award. No obligation of course, but if you’d like to participate, I have a list of questions on the below page. If not though, that’s totally okay and please just take this for the compliment it’s intended as!

    Creative Blogger Award

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Hey, thanks so much! I appreciate it, and do take it as a compliment. ^_^

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  31. […] more info and to see some of the old posts (which are fantastic, as they include guests Urszula, Ariel, and Robin, who talk about Slavic, Japanese, and Hispanic monsters respectively), go […]

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  32. Ariel, I nominated your blog for the “The Versatile Blogger” Award. Congratulations!

    The Versatile Blogger Award

    Like

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