ASHLAND — Brandon Adkins spends his days preparing meals for staff and patients at a local hospital.
He spends his nights cooking up something more spine-tingling.
Adkins has been in the culinary industry for about 16 years. The Mentor native moved to Ashland about three years ago and currently works in the nutrition department at University Hospitals Samaritan Medical Center.
In April, Adkins witnessed a 20-year passion project reach the finish line when his psychological thriller, “The Hatchet Killer,” was published. It is widely available for purchase online via Amazon and Barnes & Noble, among other sites.
The book follows a group of friends seeking an isolated spring break getaway. They choose a cabin in the woods in West Virginia. What only one member of the group knows is that news of a hatchet killer has been spreading — and that the woods they’re traveling to are cursed by an old doctor, according to local legend.
“From there it’s twists and turns on who is going to die, whose mind is the doctor going to takeover, what’s reality and what’s not reality, those kind of things,” Adkins said.
Adkins wanted the story to feature a female heroine — as opposed to more frequently used male heroes.
“I created a character that I wanted her to be there at the end,” he said.
Adkins said the book is suitable for ages 16 and up. But generally, he said he tried to make the book one anyone would enjoy.
Adkins set a goal in 2025
Adkins came up with the concept for “The Hatchet Killer” when he was just ten years old.
He was fascinated by forensic science while growing up and often dreamt of becoming a forensic scientist.
He was also a huge fanatic of horror.
“I had a bunch of time when I was little and I’d sit at the table in the kitchen and was like, ‘You know what? I’m going to create my own story,'” Adkins said. “One day I found what I wrote when I was 10 and it was pretty bad, but the idea was there.
“I took that idea and just built with it. I had a pretty creative mind then,” he said.
The itch to continue writing struck Adkins every now and then, he said. However, the demanding nature of the culinary industry took most of his time away from working on it. Things got better though after taking the job at UH.
Last year, he set a specific goal to finish the book by the end of 2025.
Adkins wrapped up writing in December and worked with Best Book Company to get his work published by April.
“My top priority is sharing my story with the world because I had fun writing it,” Adkins said. “For this first book, I didn’t know how it was going to end. Every time I was writing it was fun for me.
“I wanted the same reaction from people who read the story, seeing what’s going to happen. That’s the most important thing to me.”
What’s next?
Adkins shared a forewarning for those who may choose to read his book — it will end in a true cliffhanger fashion.
He originally planned to begin working on a different series after finishing “The Hatchet Killer.” But during a drive to work one day, he was struck by an idea for a sequel.
Moments before his interview with Ashland Source in April, Adkins was actively writing the early pages of the sequel to “The Hatchet Killer.”
The 30-year-old said writing the first installment was a learning experience, figuring out how each step of the process works. He’s been able to apply some of that foundational knowledge throughout the process of researching and beginning to pen his sequel.
This go around, Adkins began with character development first, along with detailing the setting and planning out how he wants the book to start and finish in advance.
“I’m excited for how it ends,” Adkins teased.
More updates about Adkins’ writing journey can be followed on his website.
