A St. Albert Grade 6 student has worked some literary magic by publishing her first novel.
Greater St. Albert Catholic trustees learned Nov. 29 that École Marie Poburan Grade 6 student Eva Morrison had published a novel.
An avid reader and fan of fantasy and science fiction, Morrison said she has been writing stories for as long as she can remember and has always wanted to get one published.
“For this book, I didn’t realize until maybe like page 100 that this could be something I could actually publish.”
Morrison said the seed for her book, titled Star Keepers, was first planted when she envisioned a young girl who had discovered a palace in a glorious kingdom. Next, she wondered what would happen if the stars and planets in the sky started disappearing. Soon, protagonist Ember Applebee of Yellowknife had discovered a golden star, teamed up with a dragon named Jeff, and set off to save the universe from dark wizardry. Morrison said the book’s cover, which depicts an Earth-like glass sphere atop coloured marbles, is a hint for one of the book’s big plot twists.
Morrison said she edited the 190-page tale with the help of her mother. A family friend and author suggested she publish it through Kindle Direct Publishing, which lets participants self-publish books for sale through the Amazon website.
Morrison published her book Oct. 20 and has since sold about 52 copies, earning $250 in the process.
Marie Poburan principal Michelle Baril said the school learned of Morrison’s authorial debut after one of her former teachers posted about it on Facebook. Morrison has since donated a signed copy of the book to the school’s library.
“Everyone was thrilled and proud of her,” Baril said.
Morrison said she hopes to keep writing as a hobby. She originally planned to make Star Keepers a stand-alone tale, but after having an inspirational dream, she has decided to make it the first in a trilogy.
Morrison said she hopes to get a copy of her book added to the St. Albert Public Library. It is otherwise available through Amazon. She hopes to have her second book written by the end of 2022.
