About the Author: Javier Rodriguez

I’m a lifelong surfer, storyteller, and musician who came of age in the wild, volcanic beauty of Puna, Hawai‘i during the seventies and eighties. That raw, untamed landscape—and the colorful, complicated characters who inhabited it—inspired Puna Poison, my debut novel.

Today I live on Maui with my cat Bella, foil surf whenever there’s a bump in the water, and build websites to keep the creative juices flowing. I also play a mean ukulele and sax when the mood strikes.

Puna Poison isn’t just fiction—it’s a gritty love letter to a time and place that shaped me, full of danger, dark humor, and defiance. If you’ve ever wondered what it was like to haul pakalōlō through lava fields or stand your ground against the wrong kind of power, this book’s for you.

I’m currently developing the Puna Poison film adaptation and am open to collaboration with filmmakers who share a taste for realism, tension, and island soul.