It’s the “beginning of the end,” for a brand-new book trilogy in progress – written and illustrated by a Carthage teen.
At the age of 14, Ozzy Baxter has created a world taken over by zombies. And even though it’s the end of the world in “Apoca-List,” things are ramping up for four teens on a mission to check things off their bucket list. The first entry to this saga was published in December 2025, and Ozzy says he expects the second book to come out in a few months.
“I’ve always liked stories with structured plots with one objective,” said the 14-year-old homeschooler. “I like the thrills of genre fiction and all that comes with that, and to have a deeper meaning, too. I like to have character arcs and themes, and action and humor with a backbone.”
The joy of writing came naturally to this youth, the son of Brent and Emily Baxter. In his homeschool curriculum, he didn’t complain much when more writing was added to his education plan. Plus, Ozzy has a close connection to his editor – Brent, who nourishes a songwriting career from home.
“I’ve grown to love writing over the last couple years and my dad definitely helps a lot,” Ozzy said. “There’s a lot in common with song and story. We’ve had a lot of conversations, and he’s helped me edit when I ramble.”
In 2024, Ozzy tested the waters of the self-publishing world with his first novella, “The Sandite Chronicles.” Both of his books can be found on Amazon, and in-person at book promoting events.
“Each event has a varied experience but at this last one we did, we put a lot of work into the booth,” Ozzy said. “When it was time to just sit down, I had a lot of fun talking to people with similar interests. I enjoyed it a lot and hope to do more.”
So grab a friend, climb the town’s water tower and feed tomatoes to zombies … and enjoy “Apoca-List,” written and illustrated by Ozzy Baxter.
