Angola Hone is an independent author and all-twelve-grades done through homeschooling graduate. His debut series for middle grade and young adult fantasy readers, The Canid Chronology, released its first book in August 2024. He penned the original draft in notebooks almost a decade and a half ago, during lunch at his local “Eday” classes in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
“It’s also where 11-year-old me made up this pen name,” says Angola. “I thought it sounded cool after learning about anagrams from Snicket’s Unfortunate Events series.”
Angola Hone has always been drawn to storytelling. He never outgrew his love for children and YA fiction, still nostalgic over favorite books such as Redwall and Narnia, as well as stories from movies and video games such as Wall-E, Ratatouille, and Pokémon. As he begins his journey as an author, he hopes to capture the same Christ-centered themes of adventure, heroism, and loving self-sacrifice found in these tales for the next generation.
Though he graduated from Regent University with a bachelor’s degree for cinema and television in 2021, Angola credits his homeschool education with shaping his ability to teach himself the skills to publish The Canid Chronology.
As a self-published “indie” author, Angola learned most things about the industry from scratch. Writing a book is difficult enough, but it is only a fraction of the work when it comes to releasing one for the public. From running marketing campaigns, to navigating seller sites such as Amazon and Barnes & Noble, to using software to revise the book for different formats (eBook, paperback, etc.), Angola did it without the backing of a publishing house.
“Thankfully, I think homeschooling made me a very self-motivated, active learner,” Angola explains. “By the last few grades of high school, I was so into writing and literature and arts that my parents didn’t even need to supervise me much when it came to my assignments in those areas. I was on top of them. I read the curriculum, did my workbooks, and learned mostly by myself. It was almost like I became my own teacher for those subjects.”
This motivated learning continued once Angola finished high school and college.
“For a year after graduating college, I kind of fell into that rut that a lot of kids probably do,” he says. “I was doing odd jobs, feeling aimless, asking God what’s next now that I’m a young adult with no school goals ahead. He reminded me of my notebooks. In 2023, I decided it was finally time to revise, perfect, and publish the stories I had been holding on to for over a decade.”
Angola had no clue how to begin. But that was all right.
“I didn’t know how to find an editor. I didn’t know how to get an agent (or if I even needed one). I didn’t even know how to get my stuff made into a physical book. But I did know how to research and teach myself. The internet has endless resources. I attacked it. I made my own curriculum on how to get my book published. Compiled from fellow authors, articles, and YouTube tutorials, it has brought me pretty far. And I’ll always continue to learn more.”
The Canid Chronology series is the culmination of Angola’s love for stories combined with an effective home education. He is exceedingly thankful for its release and hopes the series encourages kids and parents currently undergoing their own adventures in homeschooling.
“God blessed me with my mom and dad. They had the love, patience, and resources to invest more personally into my schooling,” Angola claims. “It all began there. Homeschool parents are provided such great opportunities to discover their children’s natural talents and tailor their education accordingly. Mine saw that I was designed to be a writer and molded much of my learning around that. They drove me toward other skills that would pair well—public speaking courses, time management, encouraging my interest in voice acting, etcetera.”
In addition to its print and eBook versions, The Canid Chronology Book One is also planned for a 2025 release in audiobook format, narrated by Angola Hone himself.
“All this to say, I want to tell homeschool parents that it’s worth it in the end,” Angola says. “I know they don’t hear it enough, especially from their own kids and graduates who have been through the process. Homeschooling is hard, but it pays off. In my case, it really deepened the relationship I keep with my parents and with Jesus. I’m thankful to both and encourage all those out there to keep plugging away!”
Angola Hone loves to reach readers directly with his Newsletter.
Those who join receive a free short story + digital artwork from the world of the Canid series, book discounts, and updates/behind the scenes on series releases.
Anyone interested in indie publishing should check it out.
The Canid Chronology is Available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble
Angola Hone also posts updates on his other socials, which can be found from his Linktree.
