S.L. library worker launches author journey after moving to Sanpete

Sylvia Hunter spent 26 years surrounded by books as a Salt Lake County library worker. Now, seven months after moving to Sanpete with her husband Steven, she’s creating them.
Hunter has published four books in the last few months, with several more in various stages of completion. Her work spans children’s picture books to young adult fantasy, all unified by a single goal: helping young readers reconnect with their emotions.
“You see kids on the phone and computer all the time, and in my opinion, they’re alone in those moments,” Hunter explains. “These books have a lot of emotions like joy and sorrow, so when the kids read them, I feel that they can connect with emotions that have been shut away inside themselves.”
The emotional depth of the books caught even Hunter by surprise. She would write a chapter and read it aloud to Steven. “By the end of the whole chapter, we’d both be bawling,” she recalls.
Hunter’s journey to authorship began long before her library career. She’s been writing since age 18 and has been an avid reader since her teens. She has consumed “thousands and thousands of books” over the years. But her most distinctive creative tool isn’t research or outlining. It’s dreaming.
“Most of the books, she dreams about them,” Steven says of his wife’s process. One dream about two children discovering magic boots in a cave became the foundation for her Mark and Mandy and the Magical Ooly-Gagg Boots series, which now has two books available with three more planned.
Her fantasy novel Prophecy of the Eclipse, targeted at readers ages 10-18, took a different path; decades of refinement before reaching publication. A second book in that series is currently in progress, along with the forthcoming Jelly Beans and Dragons series and a children’s book called SQWiggles.
The Hunters work as a team. Sylvia handwrites every book in actual notebooks. “The pen knows!” she says. Steven then transcribes her handwritten pages, serving as editor. He also co-authored their children’s picture book Little Star, which tells the story of a lost star who finds a friend to help him grow bigger, brighter, and understand who he really is.
The family’s creative collaboration extends further. Steven’s sister illustrated Little Star, and the couple’s twin daughters designed the covers for Sylvia’s fantasy novels.
Hunter’s writing process embraces spontaneity. She waits for inspiration, then follows where it leads. “The next sentence is as much a surprise to me as it is to the pen and paper,” she says. “I like unpredictability in my writing. Cliff-hangers galore!”
Once inspiration strikes, Hunter works quickly; she can complete a book in about 45 days.
For young people in Sanpete County who want to write, Hunter offers practical advice born from her dream-driven process: “Write down your ideas immediately. Even if it’s the middle of the night.”
The Hunters are self-publishing through Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing platform, with books available in hardcover, paperback, and ebook formats. Audiobook versions are in production. They’ve also donated copies to local libraries, which have added the books to their shelves.
Living in Sanpete County has already influenced Hunter’s work. “I’ve picked up the accent and style of speaking from here,” she notes.
Her website, sylviahunter.net, is up and receiving final edits. Readers can find her current titles on Amazon. With multiple series in progress and “three titles floating around in [her] head,” Hunter shows no signs of slowing down.
“I wait for divine inspiration and then write when it comes,” she says. For this retired librarian turned author, the next chapter is always just a dream away.