Teen author releases 1st book

By ELISE DALLEY

The Progress

A Moapa Valley teen published her first ever book last week on Friday, April 26.
Payton Paice took about five years writing her new coming-of-age fantasy novel entitled Riley Whittle and the Curse of the Moon.

The book is about a girl named Riley Whittle as she finds out the hard truth of the world, the people around her, and the hidden pains concealed in the deepest corners of the world. The story is a thrilling journey of betrayal, love, and choice. It all starts with Riley Whittle, her father, a promise, a Raven, and a curse– the curse of the moon.

Payton’s idea for this story has been in development since the COVID-19 pandemic took her out of school when she was in fourth grade. She knew she wanted to write a book, and immediately began brainstorming for ideas. Two years later, as a 6th grader, Payton finally had enough material to begin writing a story.

“I’ve always had a jolt of excitement whenever it came to stories,” she explained. “In third grade, I wrote a ton of stories and read them to my class. Then, sadly, I had ‘writer’s block’ for the rest of my elementary school time and couldn’t get past the 20 page mark in my first drafts.”

By the time Payton received enough inspiration to go forward with the story, she was able to write her first draft between two months of her sixth and seventh grade years. Now, as an 8th grader, Payton is able to hold her book in her hands for the first time.

Payton hopes that if she receives enough interest in the book, she can write a whole series.
“Hopefully, I am able to continue doing what I love.” she states. “I love telling stories that people can connect to and learn from.”

The book is available to purchase at Amazon.com and various Barnes & Noble bookstores.