Never mind bugging Victoria Kasten, 17, to do her homework. Try getting her to stop working on her novels. The home-schooled Webster teen wrote her first book, Mighty Stallion, at age 12 and has completed four subsequent sequels, as well as a new fantasy-themed book called IronHeart. Throw in book signings, teaching writing classes, and speaking at area schools and it’s hard to imagine how Kasten knows what day it is. “It’s usually a juggling act trying to balance my school work and social life and writing,” explains Kasten. “I do a lot of school work in the car on the way to signings, but I had to let go of a couple activities to make time for everything.”
Kasten’s writing career was kicked off by a family trip to the Black Hills Wild Horse Sanctuary in Hot Springs, SD. Already an avid horse lover, Kasten was inspired to create a world in which a wild horse was the main character. “The Mighty Stallion books narrate American history through the eyes of the wild Mustangs who lived out West,” says Kasten. “I wanted to write from the horse’s perspective and try out a new niche.”
Kasten’s mother Kathy recognized her daughter’s talent and decided the family should self-publish Mighty Stallion, which is now in its third printing, and the rest has been a whirlwind of answering fan e-mail, promoting the books, and working in time to jot down new book concepts. “Usually I get an idea in my head followed by another, so I get out a notebook or laptop and do a brief overview of all the ideas I have,” explains Kasten. “Depending on the book size and how long I want it to be, it can take anywhere from three weeks to three months to finish a Mighty Stallion book.”
This summer Kasten will divide her time between Mighty Stallion 6, which will involve a lot of historical research and even some genealogy, since one of Kasten’s characters will be a distant relative who fought in the Civil War, and completing the sequel to IronHeart. It might seem like a lot for a 17-year-old to tackle in a season, but Kasten doesn’t want to let any of her young fans down. “I get e-mails asking when I’m going to get each book out!” she exclaims.
Monica Wright is Minnesota Parent’s assistant editor.
Victoria recommends
A Proper Pursuit
By Lynn Austin
The Eragon and Eldus series
By Christopher Paolini (a fellow teen author)
“If I have time I will probably read these for the sixth or seventh time this summer,” she says.
