In this edition of Madison Book Beat, host Lisa Malawski sits down with local Madison author Rachelle Kampen to discuss her journey from an imaginative Wisconsin farm girl to a self-published author of the Hanks Hollow series. In 2022, Rachelle self-published her books through Amazon, choosing to retain full creative control over her work. Her debut novel, Moon Over Hanks Hollow, introduced readers to the mystical town of Hanks Hollow, where werewolves and witches navigate an unusual and enchanting existence. The series continued with Witch In A Wolf Den, Lost In Hanks Hollow, and When Witches Wake.

Growing up on a farm in southern Wisconsin, Rachelle had limited access to TV and the internet, which led her to develop a deep love of reading. Inspired by authors like S.E. Hinton and Christopher Pike, she spent her childhood lost in books, creating stories in her mind long before she ever put them on paper.

For years, those stories remained tucked away in her imagination—until 2020, when she finally sat down to write her debut novel. She took the leap into publishing with the Hanks Hollow series, a world filled with quirky Wisconsin charm, magic, and paranormal adventure.

A glimpse of werewolves and witches in the Hanks Hollow series:

In the Hanks Hollow series, werewolves and witches aren’t just mythical beings—they each have unique quirks and rules that shape their interactions and struggles.