Angela Howes, Brandeis graduate and young adult librarian at the Dover Town Library, has announced the release of "Containment," her second novel in a young adult series she has been working on since her pre-college days. The series follows the trials and tribulations of Phoebe Ray, an emerging adult forced down a path she otherwise would have never chosen for herself, set in a dystopian society where family and career can never coincide. To be released January 12, "Containment" may be purchased on Amazon in both eBook and paperback formats, as well as through expanded distribution channels such as Ingram and Barnes & Noble.
Howes is no stranger to the publishing industry. For four years, she served as editor and co-founder of Bass River Press, a nonprofit literary imprint based out of the Cultural Center of Cape Cod in South Yarmouth, Massachusetts. Along with her mentor, Lauren Wolk, Howes proofread, prepared, and published the works of four Massachusetts poets: Judy Askew, Rose Auslander, Deirdre Callanan, and Leo Thibault. At the same time, Howes was also working at the Brewster Ladies’ Library and running a freelance editing business on the side. The combination of all of these experiences gave her the tools she needed to dive into the world of self-publishing.
“I’ve always wanted to see one of my books in print, but it took a long time to build up the nerve,” said Howes. “It’s a scary thing, putting your heart on a page and then handing it over to someone else to scrutinize and dissect. But I eventually reached a point where the dream had grown bigger than the fear, and I knew I had to go for it.”
For Howes, this dream has been years in the making. She wrote her first full-length novel at the age of twelve, finished her first trilogy by fifteen, and has been submitting books to agents since long before she submitted her first college application. This longstanding passion is part of the reason why her target audience is young adults, and why she adores every aspect of her job as Dover’s young adult librarian — she hopes to one day become the kind of inspiration for youth that J.K. Rowling was for her.
“I wrote this series from the perspective of a girl struggling to balance love and success, and fearing that it might never be possible to have both. What if I lived in a world where someone else made that choice for me? One where I didn’t even have a say? Would I make it? Would I thrive, or would I crumble under the weight? What kind of world would that be?”
Thus, the island of Cerenia was born — a land where you are either a mother or a writer, a husband or a lawmaker, but never both. It’s a struggle young and old alike can relate to.
“'Containment' may be targeted for a young adult audience, but I hope it’s much bigger than that. It’s about fighting for change, and standing up for the oppressed. It’s about democracy, and immigration, and finding your place in the world. It’s about freedom.”
"Containment" will be followed by the third and final book in the Cerenia Chronicles trilogy, set to release in early 2021.
