Twelve year-old Victoria Smallwood is accomplishing what many adults have tried their whole lives to do: write and publish a book. A seventh grader at Short Line Elementary School, Victoria has completed the first of a series of young adult science fiction books. Her first book, Crystal Heart, will most likely be published under AuthorHouse, formerly 1st Books. She did however have several publishing companies vying for her work.

“Victoria has been writing her whole life,” says her mother, Candy. She’s been working on Crystal Heart for about a year, with at least six months of practically non-stop writing. “I’m very protective of my notebook-it’s my lifeline,” Victoria said. “I kept it with me all the time, even at night so I could write whatever came to my mind or in my dreams.” Victoria’s mother, Candy also commented happily that she sometimes gets notes from teachers stating Victoria is writing too much on assignments. “Once I start a story, I just have to finish it, no matter how long,” Victoria stressed.

Crystal Heart was inspired by the many vampire-themed young adult books that are becoming so popular. The first of a three- or four-book series, Crystal Heart centers around Victoria, a long, dark-haired gypsy from 1804. There are several characters and viewpoints in the story. “Vampires are a big thing now, and I wanted to give the usual story a twist,” Victoria said. “My story has a lot more surprises and drama, and I call my vampires ‘fampires.'” The story has everything in it: angels, demons, fantasy, romance, drama, action, and more.

Victoria’s plans include fund raising to help pay publishing costs, and donating proceeds to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. “It’d be nice to help out the people who have cancer,” says Victoria. “I want to inspire them to believe that anything is possible.” Along with this sentiment, Victoria is dedicating her book to all of the girls who have dreams, with the message that dreams can come true. “To all of the young girls like me: in God all things are possible.”

Her long-term goals include going to college and traveling. She plans to keep writing as a paid hobby and has a real interest in forensic anthropology, among many other things. Her favorite subjects in school are English and science, both of which are big inspirations in her writing. She also reads all of the time. Her favorite book at the moment is House of Night, also a science fiction book. Interestingly, she often reads and writes with music playing. “It helps me tune out the world so I can think and write,” Victoria says.

Crystal Heart is set to release in stores and online in between six and nine weeks. It will even be available as a downloadable book onto Amazon’s Kindle electronic reading tablet. To donate money or to order any baked goods as one of Victoria’s fund raisers, call 304-889-3347.