"In my hour of darkness, I keep council with the dead, Just enough to remind me I'm Alive."
-Las Cruces Jail by Two Galants
Corbin, Kentucky is in the coal valleys nestled within the gritty foothills of the Appalachia Mountains. From there was born a man named Harlinn Draper.
His mother, an English teacher whose words instilled with wisdom and intrigue, gifted him a love for storytelling from a young age. His father, railroader with a strength as steely as the tracks he worked on, inheriting a sense of resilience and grit that would shape Harlinn's character.
From the depths of the Kentucky foothills, Harlinn's imagination soared to places unknown, fueled by a lifelong obsession with horror movies that bordered on disturbing. The gore on the big screen captivated him, planting seeds of terror and fascination that would bloom in his mind like twisted vines tangled with nightmares.
Inspired by literary giants such as Stephen King, whose words vividly describe terror, Alfred Hitchcock, the master of suspense whose tales griped your throat. Cormac McCarthy's stark prose left an indelible mark. Can’t forget fellow Kentuckian of course, Hunter S. Thompson’s major influence shaping his writing style with raw, unfiltered truths.
“Influences like Stephen King, Hunter S. Thompson, and Chuck Palahniuk shaped my literary tastes, drawing me to the macabre, the rebellious, and the unconventional. Their works ignited my imagination and fueled my passion for storytelling. I grew up surrounded by stories and cold steel train tracks. My father, a dedicated railroader, and my mother, an inspiring English teacher, instilled a good work ethic, discipline, a love for narratives and the written word. ”
As he continued deeper into the halls of his own mind, his ideas and images straddled the line between reality and nightmare. The vivid stories of horror and despair captivated his attention.
In the quiet hours, surrounded by the tales of the Kentucky hills and the ghosts of his his imagination, Harlinn Draper writes stories that crawl into a disturbing uncomfortable place for those who read them. His words are a journey to a place where the shadows are darker and the unknown is just beyond the edge of perception.
And so, a writer of mystery and intrigue, whose dark and cryptic tales whisper of the dark depths beyond the human experience. In the hallowed tradition of his literary forebears, he beckons readers to step beneath the haze of mystique and madness, into the darkness with him.
“Whether recalling tales of a wild past, exploring the depths of human psyche, or challenging societal norms, I strive to capture the raw, unfiltered essence of life in my own words. Embracing both the abstract and the absurd, I aim to leave a lasting imprint on the literary world. Opening eyes to uncomfortable realities that we often choose to deny, kept in the recess of society.”
In the seething depths of dark Southern tales, that twist like a moonlit serpent. Perspectives that are a disturbing vision of what’s lurking in the darkest shadows of the human mind, just beyond perception. Daring us to glimpse into the unseen and embrace the fears that bend our realities and warp our minds, leaving us forever changed by the grotesque beauty of its secrets.
His mother, an English teacher whose words instilled with wisdom and intrigue, gifted him a love for storytelling from a young age. His father, railroader with a strength as steely as the tracks he worked on, inheriting a sense of resilience and grit that would shape Harlinn's character.
From the depths of the Kentucky foothills, Harlinn's imagination soared to places unknown, fueled by a lifelong obsession with horror movies that bordered on disturbing. The gore on the big screen captivated him, planting seeds of terror and fascination that would bloom in his mind like twisted vines tangled with nightmares.
Inspired by literary giants such as Stephen King, whose words vividly describe terror, Alfred Hitchcock, the master of suspense whose tales griped your throat. Cormac McCarthy's stark prose left an indelible mark. Can’t forget fellow Kentuckian of course, Hunter S. Thompson’s major influence shaping his writing style with raw, unfiltered truths.
“Influences like Stephen King, Hunter S. Thompson, and Chuck Palahniuk shaped my literary tastes, drawing me to the macabre, the rebellious, and the unconventional. Their works ignited my imagination and fueled my passion for storytelling. I grew up surrounded by stories and cold steel train tracks. My father, a dedicated railroader, and my mother, an inspiring English teacher, instilled a good work ethic, discipline, a love for narratives and the written word. ”
As he continued deeper into the halls of his own mind, his ideas and images straddled the line between reality and nightmare. The vivid stories of horror and despair captivated his attention.
In the quiet hours, surrounded by the tales of the Kentucky hills and the ghosts of his his imagination, Harlinn Draper writes stories that crawl into a disturbing uncomfortable place for those who read them. His words are a journey to a place where the shadows are darker and the unknown is just beyond the edge of perception.
And so, a writer of mystery and intrigue, whose dark and cryptic tales whisper of the dark depths beyond the human experience. In the hallowed tradition of his literary forebears, he beckons readers to step beneath the haze of mystique and madness, into the darkness with him.
“Whether recalling tales of a wild past, exploring the depths of human psyche, or challenging societal norms, I strive to capture the raw, unfiltered essence of life in my own words. Embracing both the abstract and the absurd, I aim to leave a lasting imprint on the literary world. Opening eyes to uncomfortable realities that we often choose to deny, kept in the recess of society.”
In the seething depths of dark Southern tales, that twist like a moonlit serpent. Perspectives that are a disturbing vision of what’s lurking in the darkest shadows of the human mind, just beyond perception. Daring us to glimpse into the unseen and embrace the fears that bend our realities and warp our minds, leaving us forever changed by the grotesque beauty of its secrets.
Harlinn Draper was born in Corbin, Kentucky in the year 1984. During his toddler years he was raised by a single mother who worked tirelessly to provide for him and his sister. In 1989, just before Harlinn began kindergarten, his mother remarried and the family relocated to Warren, Ohio. This was a big change for young Harlinn, who was excited at the presence of two older stepbrothers and a stepfather.
After graduating high school in 2003, Harlinn was unsure of his future. He dabbled in college, switching majors and never quite finding his passion. Eventually, he entered the workforce with a strong determination, stong back, and stiff work ethic. Harlinn's resilience, hard work, and dedication paid off as he quickly rose through the ranks and became a valuable member of the company he worked for.
Today, Harlinn is a happily enjoying life with his beautiful wife and their amazing son. Always an animal lover, they have a dog named Gucci and a cat named Stoli.