Jeremiah Toller/Arizona Republic

H.D. Hunter tells his story at the 'New Beginnings' event on Jan. 23, 2019, at the Peoria Center for the Performing Arts.

KJZZ partners with the Arizona Republic to bring you the Arizona Storytellers series. We record the live events and share them with you on the radio. In Phoenix, the storytellers sometimes share stories about our community or the life events that have shaped them in general. Megan Finnerty is the creator of the series. 

H.D. Hunter is from Atlanta, but a few years ago he was living in New Haven, Connecticut, and trying to write a book. He had a 9-to-5 job which paid the bills, but his passion was writing.

Many of his friends lived elsewhere, so Hunter kept in touch through messaging apps. One day a mutual friend connected Hunter with a woman named Charli, and the two hit it off.

After texting for months, they finally met in person and spent hours talking and laughing into the next morning. Charli and Hunter started dating, and she gave him feedback about the stories that he wanted to get published. She was a great help to Hunter, and he promised he would dedicate the first book to her.

The next storytelling event is May 15, 2019, at the Phoenix Art Museum.

If you or someone you know may be considering suicide, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 (En Español: 1-888-628-9454; Deaf and Hard of Hearing: 1-800-799-4889) or the Crisis Text Line by texting 741741.

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