Close

Coming soon: ECHS student to release novel

DSC_0144

Meet Katelynn Renteria one of Harlingen’s newest novelists.

On the surface, the sophomore at Early College High School seems like your typical teenager. She likes superheroes, listening to music and learning card tricks, but she also enjoys writing during her spare time.

Soon, she will be releasing her first published novel, “The Other Side of the Law.”

The young adult fiction novel is about Kay Verdant, a secret agent in training who saves the world before dinnertime.

Enjoying the idea of a plausible superhero, Renteria began creating her main character last summer.

“I always loved the idea of superheroes,” she says. “I thought to myself, ‘you know, what if this was real.’ Bits and pieces of the story came to me. I started writing an outline; eventually, it just became so lengthy that I wrote a book.”

Renteria’s heroine, Kay Verdant, embarks on multiple missions throughout the book. She has to deal with challenges having to do with physical ability and technology, all while balancing her superhero and family life.

While Renteria was busy writing, her mother was researching publishers around the area.

“My mom found out that Sara Book Publishing was doing a convention at Harlingen Medical Center,” she said. “We asked about the process. We got on their website and submitted my manuscript and in about 15-20 days I got a response saying it was accepted.”

Even now as she awaits editorial review, she still can’t believe that in a few months she will become a published author.

“It’s so surreal. People dream about stuff like this but having it happen to you is just amazing.”

Though there is still some time before the release of her book, her principal, Dr. Pamela Flores is already helping her promote her novel on campus.

Standing proudly next to her promotional poster, she says, “I love it here. Everyone here is so supportive. Dr. Flores was so excited for me and willing to help in any way she could.”

With the college experience she is receiving at ECHS, Renteria says she is one step closer to realizing her dream of becoming an attorney.

“Here at ECHS, I have the opportunity to experience college while also being in a small setting. It’s just very close-knit, and you can feel the support from everyone with the students, staff, teachers, everybody. After high school, I want to attend Norte Dame University to work towards my degree to become an attorney.”

 

2 thoughts on “Coming soon: ECHS student to release novel

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *