Southdale teen releases first novel

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This article was published 2/10/2017 (539 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Kayla Klanreungsang knows all about having a guardian angel.

The 14-year-old Southdale resident recently released her first book titled Guardian Angel, which was published by Sigma’s Bookshelf in the U.S.

Without gibing too much away, the book is about November Harris, a 17-year-old girl from a small town called Brookhaven. Her dream is to leave the town and become an architect, but when she meets Ace Montego, a boy with a secret, her whole life changes as November gets sucked back into a supernatural world and discovers shocking revelations about herself and Ace.

Klanreungsang, who said the inspiration for the book came naturally, told The Lance she was thrilled when she got to hold a copy of the finished book for the first time.

"I’ve always loved to write and ideas sort of come naturally to me. I read about fallen angels in a different book and I liked the concept much that I decided I wanted to write a story with that theme, as well," she said.

"It felt awesome (to first hold a copy of the book). I’d always wanted to get a book published before I was 15, but I never really believed that I was going to accomplish that goal. I was beyond happy when I first got to see the book and I was excited to show everyone. I was also proud of myself for achieving one of my biggest goals."

And far from resting on her laurels, the teen is currently writing two new stories and planning another one.

"It’s difficult for me to write two stories at once because my ideas get mixed together, so I’ve been taking a break from one of them while continuing to write the other. The one that I am actively writing is also a supernatural story, but there are wolves, vampires, and witches instead of angels and demons."

Even though Klanreungsang has grown up in the digital age, she much prefers the experience of picking up a book compared to reading on a digital device.

"In my opinion, picking up a book is so much better than reading on a digital device. Being able to actually flip the page and hold it in your hands while you’re reading makes it so much more real. I love everything about printed books and I have a very large collection of them," she said.

Klanreungsang enjoyed the experience of working with the book’s publisher, Sigma’s Bookshelf, which was started by teen Justin M. Anderson with the help of his parents in 2016 to help fellow teen authors achieve their own publishing success.  

"I thought it was an incredible experience. It was a very smooth and efficient process that I enjoyed very much. I hope to publish another book soon, so I am looking forward to possibly working with Sigma’s Bookshelf again," Klanreungsang said.

Sigma’s Publishing has also invited her to do a book signing at the Twin Cities Book Festival in Minneapolis on Oct. 14, so Klanreungsang will be attending the event with her family.

The book, which costs $19.95, is available at amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com and can also be ordered at bookstores including Chapters, Indigo and Coles, Klanreungsang said.

simon.fuller@canstarnews.com