By Amelia Tarallo
Hometown Weekly Special Correspondent
Many people dream of writing a book. Few people actually do it. Fewer do it while they are in high school.
Valini Goorha has done just that with her book, "Hidden Immortality.”
"Hidden Immortality" is about an underground community that views above ground as dangerous. Emma Beckett is one of many people living underground. Emma's life is turned around and she soon discovers the truth of the underground.
It's not surprising that the young author has always had a big imagination.
"Ever since we were young,” says Goorha, “my sister and I used to conjure up worlds where we talked about fictitious people and storylines. I think this book was mostly inspired by the many ideas I dreamed up and wished I could see on paper."
Like most authors, Goorha found it difficult to edit her book.
"The most difficult part about writing my book was probably the editing process,” she notes. “Going through my book, cutting out certain sections, and making sure there were no grammatical or plot errors, made the fun, creative process of writing a little more stressful. There were also times when writing my book when I considered just leaving it be - chalking it up as another unfinished story.”
Goorha persisted, wanting to see the finished product in print.
“Mostly, writing this novel just gave me something to look forward to. It was fun, and I really enjoyed creating a new world filled with unique characters," she says. "My favorite part about writing this book was probably determining the plot - where the characters would end up. I think that thinking through a story and finding the perfect plot - the plot where everything fits - just makes the writing process that much more fun."
Now, with her book in print and available on Amazon, among other retailers, Val Goorha is basking in the afterglow.
"It feels really amazing to have published a book. It has been a dream of mine for a long time, and it seems inconceivable now that I’ve done it," says Goorha.
The girl who grew up reading classics like “The Count of Monte Cristo,” “Pride and Prejudice,” and “Wuthering Heights” has accomplished what Alexandre Dumas, Jane Austen, and Emily Bronte all did - and before she’s even graduated from high school.
