Young Marlborough novelist mixes life experiences with the paranormal for her first book debuts novel

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Young Marlborough novelist mixes life experiences with the paranormal for her first book debuts novel
Laura Nelson (Photo/submitted)

Marlborough – On Feb. 14, in a log cabin in New Hampshire, words poured out of Laura Nelson’s mind as she began writing her first book, “Hiraeth: Insomnia of the Heart.” Two months later, in the same cabin with no Wi-Fi, TV or cable to distract her, Laura completed her novel. A freshman at Marlborough High School, Laura has always been a voracious reader, especially of fantasy and science fiction works.

Inspired by such authors as J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Paolini and Chris D’Lacey, her ideas for “Hiraeth: Insomnia of the Heart” are directly connected to her friends and their conflicts. Intrigued by the concept of paranormality, Laura said that once she found the concept, “It all spiraled out of control.”

The novel centers on Light Kaliar, a seemingly normal student who discovers a dark secret about his past, plunging his life into a world of darkness and magic.

Although “Hiraeth” was supposed to be her second book, it turned into her first. In terms of her writing process, Laura discovered that as she wrote it became easier. Since the characters are based on her real friends and herself, they organically became vessels for exploration.

Her desire to write goes back to sixth grade as a student in the Marlborough Public Schools.  James Cronin, her eighth-grade English Language Arts teacher at 1Lt. Charles W. Whitcomb Middle School, also was a key influence.

“He read the first 10 uncut, raw chapters of my book and provided me encouraging and useful feedback,” she stated.

According to Cronin, “Laura is extremely creative, tenacious, and dedicated to her craft. I am always thrilled to see a student like Laura, who is passionate about writing. I try to encourage every student to share his or her creations with others through publishing opportunities such as ‘Teen Ink.’”

He added, “Rarely will you hear an English teacher say to a student, ‘Please close your laptop, and stop writing!’”

Laura used Wattpad, a free interactive website, to publish her book. This resource is open to the public, including published authors who can visit the writer’s book and provide feedback. To whet the appetite of the public and prime the sales pump, Laura previewed the first two chapters.

When asked what advice she would give aspiring writers, Laura said, “Look at the world around you and put those problems into a story context. For example, the issue of segregation.  You can educate younger people about important events and issues in the real world through fantasy.”

Laura’s novel is available for purchase on Kindle, Amazon, CreateSpace.com (To purchase her book use the following code: 7122188), or can be ordered through any bookstore.

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