This is me, and this is where I write. I’m John “Falstaff” Hartness and I’ve been writing for years, for myself and for other people. Once upon a time I did a little gig for Turner Broadcasting as part of their My South ad campaign and that got me interested in writing fiction and poetry again. After writing a poker blog for several years, I’ve transitioned into writing fiction, and launched this site to be my internet home. This is where I try out new stories, new essays and poems, and post photos of some of the shows I’ve designed.

I am the author of The Black Knight Chronicles, an urban fantasy series set in Charlotte, NC. I have self-published the first three books in the series, and am under agreement with Bell Bridge Books for books 4-6. The Black Knight Chronicles follows the adventures of a pair of nerdy private investigators with a slight problem – they’re vampires. In addition to their strange dietary requirements, Jimmy Black and Greg Knightwood have to deal with prejudice, relationship drama, trolls, dragons, werewolves, other vampires and a plethora of comic book nerds along their way to saving the world and (hopefully someday) getting the girl. The series has sold over 15,000 copies in the first year of publication, and I think you’ll really enjoy it.

I grew up in Bullock Creek, South Carolina, the youngest of four kids. I’m a graduate of Winthrop Universty with a BA in Theatre Performance, and I live in Charlotte with my lovely wife Suzy. We’ve been active in the theatre community around Charlotte for years, and between us we’ve worked for almost every theatre group in town at some point. My work has primarily been as a lighting designer, but I’ve also directed quite a bit, done sound and set design, and even acted once in a while. But I’ve always wanted to write, and this site is where I do it. So welcome, thanks for stopping by.

If you’re interested in any of the work here, feel free to leave me a comment, or you can contact me at johnhartness@gmail.com. Everything written here is mine, and I hold all copyrights to it, so please don’t steal my content. I’d be grumpy.