Orchid Park's Youngest Author

Meet Orchid Park Secondary School’s youngest ever author, Jazel Lai Xuan Yin from Orchis 5. In fact, she is the first student author we have in our history. At the age of 11, Jazel published her first book. The first of a duology, Fighting For Hope is an exciting teen fiction with a blend of action, mystery and romance. If that does not sound impressive, Jazel has recently completed the second book Fighting For Justice and is currently in the process of publishing it. Perhaps the most impressive thing of all is that she did everything mostly by herself.

Having published a book that is selling on websites like Amazon and Book Depository is certainly no easy feat for anyone, much less for a 13 year-old girl. Let’s hear from the author herself on how she managed to do it.

MR KENNY: Hi Jazel. First of all, I must say I am very proud of your achievement, especially at such a young age. Can you briefly introduce your book, Fighting For Hope?

JAZEL: It begins with Hope Valentino, an eight year-old who witnessed the death of her biological father caused by Calvin Woodland, a multi-millionaire, and her mother. The grotesque death affected Hope greatly and at that moment, she swore to seek vengeance and never trust again. Ten years later, Hope becomes a young adult and she has yet to give up on her revenge. She learns how to fight and defend herself after enduring so much torment. The story follows her journey as she discovers how to trust and love someone again while finding the best way to seek justice for her father.

MR KENNY: I am curious, at the age of 11, what motivated you to write this book?

JAZEL: It was another story that pushed me to finally begin mine. A fictional action story drew me in. The main motivation was the thoughts and feelings I had after reading that book. I want my readers to feel the strong imagery of the fighting and the thrill that I felt.

MR KENNY: What are some difficulties you faced and how did you overcome them?

JAZEL: The entire process was difficult. It was like being in a completely foreign land. Nobody I associated with had the same interest as me but that didn’t change the fact that I was a child with a big dream. Nobody thought it was possible for me to hold a book with my name on the cover, but that didn’t stop me. I learnt everything from scratch. The actual writing of the story turned out to be the easiest part while the publishing was the most difficult. I had to figure out how to do it on my own. The process was tedious and time-consuming but the tenacity to continue and the thought of accomplishing my goal helped me to overcome these difficulties. I discovered that commitment is important, especially towards something I hope to achieve.

MR KENNY: Share with us your feelings when you finally published your book.

JAZEL: I felt a sense of satisfaction and a tiny hint of pride. Holding a physical copy of my book in my hands was a step beyond. It felt like a trophy, a piece of evidence to prove that as long as I put my heart and mind onto something, anything is possible.

MR KENNY: Last but not least, I heard that you are in the process of publishing your second book. Can you give a little sneak preview into your upcoming book?

JAZEL: My second book is called Fighting For Justice and this is the second part of the duology. I completed the book and it is currently going through the long process of publishing. It includes a character from the first book, and I gave him his own story. The next book I write will be of the fantasy genre.

MR KENNY: Thank you so much for your time and we look forward to your second book!