At 16, Merrill's Sam Pelelo-Ray has finished his third novel
At 16, Sam Pelelo-Ray has finished his third novel
By Earl Horlyk Journal staff writer | Posted: Saturday, July 26, 2008
Writing longhand, Sam Pelelo-Ray of Merrill has completed three novels, including a prequel to his self-published debut effort, the science-fiction tale "Athenrei." (Staff photo by Jim Lee)
MERRILL -- Sam Pelelo-Ray's already accomplished what many only dream of doing: He's written his Great American Novel.
Plus, he has two more on the way.
Which isn't bad for someone who hasn't even finished high school.
"My friends think it's the bomb that I'm already a published author," said Pelelo-Ray, a 16-year-old Le Mars Community High School junior.
Pelelo-Ray said his initial literary effort, a science fiction novel called "Athenrei," was the result of an eighth-grade writing assignment.
"The story actually came to me in a dream," Pelelo-Ray remembered. "I dreamt about being stranded inside a deserted toy store and discovering what was on the other side of the wall."
In "Athenrei," what lurked behind those toy store walls turned out to be a dark and twisted kingdom in which the inhabitants were forced to follow the command of an evil despot.
A fan of science fiction writer Brian Jacques (the "Redwall" series) as well as Douglas Adams, the satirical mind behind "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy," Pelelo-Ray said he enjoys creating mysterious new worlds in which all the heroes and villains are young.
"It's cool imagining what kids my age are capable of," he said.
Wanting "Athenrei" to reach a larger audience but fearing rejection, Pelelo-Ray said he submitted his 56-page novella to a national self-publishing company called PublishAmerica.
"I didn't want to take 'no' for an answer," he explained, "and PublishAmerica said 'yes' immediately."
Self-publishing houses such as PublishAmerica print books for a fee. For an additional cost, the publishers provide such services as book jacket design and distribution to such major book sellers as Barnes & Noble and Amazon.com.
Unlike with established, third-party publishers, the writers retain the rights to their books. But, also unlike larger publishers, marketing is left strictly in the hands of the authors.
Often derided as vanity presses, self-publishing companies have seen an increase in popularity due to technological advancements such as desktop publishing for books that will have a small run. It's also a way for an unknown writer, like Pelelo-Ray, to get a foot in the door.
"The movie industry has been changed with the onslaught of independent films," explained Keith Ogorek, "and the recording industry has been changed by the influx of independent music. Self-published books are the 'indies' of books."
Ogorek, the director of marketing for self-publishing firms iUniverse and AuthorHouse, called aspiring authors like Pelelo-Rey "part of the writing world's farm team."
"It's tough for a first-time author to get published," he said. "Everybody wants to be the next J.K. Rowling, and I'm sure they're out there, waiting to be discovered."
Pelelo-Ray may not be the next J.K. Rowling, and "Athenrei's" lead character, Axel, may not be the next Harry Potter, but that hasn't stopped the ambitious young author from penning what he describes as a prequel to his original story.
In a book tentatively titled "Temple of Ivaria," Pelelo-Ray unveils the origins of the underground world established in "Athenrei."
"I deliberately kept things vague," he said, "sensing I'd have enough material to revisit it later on."
Pelelo-Ray is also working on a coming-of-age novel about a teen escaping from the Witness Protection Program.
"At first, I was going to make it a thriller," he noted, "but it turned into more of a character piece with my lead character retracing his roots."
Pelelo-Ray said he's finished writing both manuscripts.
"I write everything in longhand," he explained. "It seems like it takes me just as long to type up my notes as it does to write the original story."
Pelelo-Ray said he anticipates both novels will be ready in about a year.
Which will be good news for Elisha Karr.
Karr, community relations manager for Barnes & Noble Booksellers, met Pelelo-Ray when she was organizing a recent regional book signing engagement at her Sioux City store.
"Sam is, by far, the youngest author we've ever worked with," she said. "He was signing books along with three other area authors."
Karr think "Athenrei" may inspire other young authors to try their hand at the Great American Novel, something Pelelo-Ray said is already happening.
"I know some of my friends are writing more," he noted. "They'll begin novels but they'll get distracted and never finish them."
Pelelo-Ray shook his head, saying: "You gotta be willing to commit to your writing and seeing it through."
"Even if I never write another word, I'll always have 'Athenrei,'" he continued. "I know I've accomplished what I set out to do: become a published author."
Plus, he has two more on the way.
Which isn't bad for someone who hasn't even finished high school.
"My friends think it's the bomb that I'm already a published author," said Pelelo-Ray, a 16-year-old Le Mars Community High School junior.
Pelelo-Ray said his initial literary effort, a science fiction novel called "Athenrei," was the result of an eighth-grade writing assignment.
"The story actually came to me in a dream," Pelelo-Ray remembered. "I dreamt about being stranded inside a deserted toy store and discovering what was on the other side of the wall."
In "Athenrei," what lurked behind those toy store walls turned out to be a dark and twisted kingdom in which the inhabitants were forced to follow the command of an evil despot.
A fan of science fiction writer Brian Jacques (the "Redwall" series) as well as Douglas Adams, the satirical mind behind "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy," Pelelo-Ray said he enjoys creating mysterious new worlds in which all the heroes and villains are young.
"It's cool imagining what kids my age are capable of," he said.
Wanting "Athenrei" to reach a larger audience but fearing rejection, Pelelo-Ray said he submitted his 56-page novella to a national self-publishing company called PublishAmerica.
"I didn't want to take 'no' for an answer," he explained, "and PublishAmerica said 'yes' immediately."
Self-publishing houses such as PublishAmerica print books for a fee. For an additional cost, the publishers provide such services as book jacket design and distribution to such major book sellers as Barnes & Noble and Amazon.com.
Unlike with established, third-party publishers, the writers retain the rights to their books. But, also unlike larger publishers, marketing is left strictly in the hands of the authors.
Often derided as vanity presses, self-publishing companies have seen an increase in popularity due to technological advancements such as desktop publishing for books that will have a small run. It's also a way for an unknown writer, like Pelelo-Ray, to get a foot in the door.
"The movie industry has been changed with the onslaught of independent films," explained Keith Ogorek, "and the recording industry has been changed by the influx of independent music. Self-published books are the 'indies' of books."
Ogorek, the director of marketing for self-publishing firms iUniverse and AuthorHouse, called aspiring authors like Pelelo-Rey "part of the writing world's farm team."
"It's tough for a first-time author to get published," he said. "Everybody wants to be the next J.K. Rowling, and I'm sure they're out there, waiting to be discovered."
Pelelo-Ray may not be the next J.K. Rowling, and "Athenrei's" lead character, Axel, may not be the next Harry Potter, but that hasn't stopped the ambitious young author from penning what he describes as a prequel to his original story.
In a book tentatively titled "Temple of Ivaria," Pelelo-Ray unveils the origins of the underground world established in "Athenrei."
"I deliberately kept things vague," he said, "sensing I'd have enough material to revisit it later on."
Pelelo-Ray is also working on a coming-of-age novel about a teen escaping from the Witness Protection Program.
"At first, I was going to make it a thriller," he noted, "but it turned into more of a character piece with my lead character retracing his roots."
Pelelo-Ray said he's finished writing both manuscripts.
"I write everything in longhand," he explained. "It seems like it takes me just as long to type up my notes as it does to write the original story."
Pelelo-Ray said he anticipates both novels will be ready in about a year.
Which will be good news for Elisha Karr.
Karr, community relations manager for Barnes & Noble Booksellers, met Pelelo-Ray when she was organizing a recent regional book signing engagement at her Sioux City store.
"Sam is, by far, the youngest author we've ever worked with," she said. "He was signing books along with three other area authors."
Karr think "Athenrei" may inspire other young authors to try their hand at the Great American Novel, something Pelelo-Ray said is already happening.
"I know some of my friends are writing more," he noted. "They'll begin novels but they'll get distracted and never finish them."
Pelelo-Ray shook his head, saying: "You gotta be willing to commit to your writing and seeing it through."
"Even if I never write another word, I'll always have 'Athenrei,'" he continued. "I know I've accomplished what I set out to do: become a published author."
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