Wally Waltner

Wally Waltner is a genre fiction author and storyteller whose work blends the grandeur of epic fantasy with the pulse and punch of pulp-era adventure. His stories explore the transformative power of creativity — where art and imagination aren't just themes, but elemental forces that shape worlds, destinies, and the people caught between them.

Born and raised in rural South Dakota, Wally's roots are grounded in wide skies, hard work, and a deep appreciation for the quiet stories that unfold far from the spotlight. That upbringing taught him the value of listening closely — to people, to landscapes, and to the myths that live just beneath the surface of everyday life. It also fed an active imagination, where a discarded pipe fitting becomes a ray gun, the bed of a rusted-out pickup truck becomes a sailing ship's deck, and a fallen tree branch Excalibur.

Wally holds a Bachelor of Music degree from Saint Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota, where he studied brass performance, voice, and composition. Though his creative medium has shifted from music to the written word, the rhythmic sensibility and harmonic structure of his early training continue to shape his storytelling today. Whether orchestrating the politics of a fallen kingdom or the inner lives of Muse-touched heroes, Wally brings a composer's discipline and an artist's intuition to every tale.

His fiction is often set in richly textured worlds like Breheimen, a kingdom where creativity is more than expression — it's power, and sometimes peril. Drawing inspiration from bardic traditions, psychological archetypes, and the high-stakes drama of pulp narratives, his work celebrates both the beauty and the burden of imagination.

Beyond the page, Wally has spent his career as a leader in the management consulting world, where he helps organizations solve complex problems through clarity, structure, and strategic insight. That same mindset flows into his writing, where story architecture, character purpose, and thematic resonance are treated with the same rigor he brings to transformation programs and executive leadership.

Amongst other things, Wally is a certified Kansas City Barbecue Society judge, a volunteer leader for Paizo Publishing's Organized Play Program, and a worship musician for his local church.

Wally lives in Kansas City with his wife of 33 years, Mechelle — his steadfast partner in life and creativity — and they are the proud parents of a grown daughter who continues to inspire them both. With plans to relocate to North Texas in the near future, Wally is looking forward to planting new roots, meeting new readers, and finding new stories in the heat, hum, and cultural crossroads of the Lone Star state.

Whether he's exploring broken kingdoms, guiding reluctant heroes, or unpacking the strange bargains that power human ambition, Wally Waltner writes with a storyteller's grace, a strategist's mind, and a heart full of wonder. His goal is simple: to craft compelling, creative stories that stay with you — long after the final page.