“The Spark,” which became available last Saturday, is the first novel of science-fiction series “Beyond the Light” by Harlingen-based writer William Steele.
The road to becoming a published author was not an easy one for Steele.
“I sent out maybe a hundred or 200 emails [of the manuscript] and I only heard back from about five,” the 25-year-old writer said. “I heard back from others but they said, ‘Oh, this doesn’t fit our genre’ or ‘This doesn’t fit what we go for here.’”
While the rejection from the book publishing world was not pleasant, Steele was most affected by the words of a single critic, his brother.
“He pretty much told me it was not good at all and that it was terrible and that taught me the most important lesson in the beginning, which is that you can’t care about what other people say at first,” Steele said. “You need to be confident in what your work is trying to achieve.”
His confidence and persistence paid off as he eventually got signed onto Atmosphere Press.
The first in a series of four novels, “The Spark” is about the struggles of a sentient apex species that resides in an alternate dimension on a planet called Thear. It deals with themes of consciousness, creation and choice.
“I really do believe that science fiction, and fiction in general, is a really fun way to learn lessons in a practical way,” Steele replied when asked why he was drawn to the subgenre.
Intended for individuals above the age of 13, “The Spark” falls into the young adult fiction genre. This choice was made by Steele as he considered the themes of the novel are “best received by a younger mind.”
In addition to entertaining children, Steele would like to be seen as an inspiration to the youth of the Rio Grande Valley.
“I wish when I was younger someone had come into my classroom and said, ‘Hey, I’m in my 20s. I got this book published. I wasn’t traditionally studied in this field but it was something I wanted to do, and you can do it, too.’”
“The Spark” is 115 pages and is available for purchase through its own webpage beyondthelightnovels.com through Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Target.
