Photo by Kathryn Acree.
0712 Anna Davis
Anna Davis’ first novel, The Gifted, will be published this year.Anna Davis graduated from Oak Mountain in May, and like many of her classmates, is looking toward college in the fall and working at her local part-time job for the summer. However, Anna also has one of the most sought after accomplishments for any author on the horizon–her first novel is about to be published.
Anna’s book, The Gifted, is scheduled for a late summer or early fall release. It is a dystopian novel, based on an imaginary place where people lead dehumanized and often fearful lives.
The Gift is the first book in a trilogy of young adult fiction that centers on 16-year- old protagonist Rose Hawthorne, who is so beautiful, her looks can drive men mad.
“Rose has always been a little bit different; she’s intelligent, intuitive, a fighter, and all of this has caused problems to the point she’s realized she will never be accepted as normal,” Anna said. Rose goes out on her own and meets a fellow teen, Parker, who explains her differences as her destiny to be a member of an order of teenagers, one for each sign of the zodiac, who each have a gift. Their gifts are needed to fight against an “infestation of the human race” that is threatening society. Rose is special because her gifts continually change, making it difficult for her to be identified by the enemy.
“This novel came together because I took the start of several stories from a folder I keep called ‘uninspired pieces’ that is 100 pages here or ten pages there of stories that I use to make a new story from,” Anna said. “It consumed me. I finished it in about a month and a half.”
Anna sent the novel to Christian publishing house Tate Publishing, based in Mustang, Okla. Although it is not a Christian novel, the company was interested and contacted Anna last fall. She signed a contract with them in December with a plan for edits and revisions to be completed for publication this summer or early fall.
“I never knew all the layers upon layers of editing that go into a novel,” she said. “A conceptual editor worked with me, along with a structural editor and a copy editor.”
Even with all that editing, Anna has already finished the final book in her series.
“When I was working on the third book, there were a lot of loose ends,“ Anna said. “There were so many twists and turns, and then I had the instant when I knew exactly what to do to put it all together. At that point, I was finally excited about all of
it, excited for people to see it.”
Anna’s understanding is the book will be carried by all major retailers. Tate Publishing will have book signings and appearances planned for her, hopefully around her fall and Christmas breaks. She will start at the Honors College at the University of Alabama this fall; she is looking at majoring in English after originally considering organic chemistry and pre-med.
“When I say I’m heading to college, people have asked me, ‘Do you still need that?’ and I say, ‘Of course I need that,’” she said. “I have a scholarship, and I want to go and experience that. I’m so excited at the possibilities that lie ahead.”
