Book Author

Meet the Author, Ray Hazel

Meet the Illustrator, Anne Butler

I'm Ray Hazel, born and raised in Massena, New York which is a small town located along the Saint Lawrence River. 

I've always had a passion for writing from a young age. Nature and wildlife always fascinated me. I worked for the local paper after college, however my inability to stay fair and balanced resulted in a career that was short lived. My desire to create was a contradiction to news reporting. 

Nature and wildlife photography combined with writing was a passion, which brought me several awards. Over the years I published several articles in periodicals related to hunting, fishing, trapping, and life in particular. Essays and short stories were published in a variety of publications. I had a desire to write a novel after retirement, but acute low vision was a challenge that impacted that objective.

After learning a computer program designed for the blind and those with acute low vision, I’ve published three novels and several articles for Trapper’s Post out of Maine. My writing style is filled with emotion coupled with simplicity. ​ 

The pen and ink artwork of Anne Butler reaches back to when Florida was a little more laid back and quiet. 


Anne is a mixed medium artist working with charcoal, pencil, colored pencils, and water colors.


She likes to tell stories with her illustrations which made her the perfect match when Ray Hazel was searching for an illustrator for his book, Sparky the Legend, published in late 2018. 


​Their relationship grew into a union of two old souls who finally found each other. Anne reflects that their relationship shows in the work they do together.


She is very proud of Ray's newest novel, The Diary of Macy Allen, In Search of Myself and her role illustrating it. And in her own words, "It's a beautiful book that will entertain you and make you think about the world today."