CARLSBAD, Calif. (KGTV) — A Carlsbad teenager has big dreams of becoming a best-selling author, and she's well on her way to achieving her goal.
"My favorite genre, especially when I was little, was science-fiction," said 14-year-old Shanti Hershenson.
Hershenson says books are her escape from the real world, with each story being a new adventure.
"I find it really interesting to kind of explore this new world and experience these new things," said Hershenson.
Just like with reading, Hershenson has always had a passion for writing.
Last August, she published her first novel, Biome Lock, a dystopian thriller about teenagers fighting for survival after an alien invasion.
"The first draft was so long. 800 pages, 250,000 words, and had to be split into three parts," said Hershenson.
She went on to publish ten more books.
Hershenson says some of her stories are written from personal experiences.
Her poetry book You Won't Know Her Name is about bullying and other trauma she and her twin sister Sage have endured.
"She's an amazing author," Sage said. "All of her word choice and everything is just beautiful."
This past weekend, Shanti achieved one of her goals with a book signing of her latest novel Neverdying.
"I was freaking out. I didn't sleep at all. It actually went really well," said Hershenson.
It's the first of many for this young author because her story is just getting started.
"I want to be a famous author. That would be so cool to have like movies made. I already have the fan cast all written out," said Hershenson.
You can find Hershenson books at the Mysterious Galaxy bookstore in the Midway District.
You can also go to shantihershenson.comor Amazon.
