#LocalAuthor: Paige A .Cook
Paige Alexandria Cook knows it sounds cliche to say she’s been writing for as long as she can remember, but if the shoe fits, she’s happy to wear it. “Even in middle school and high school, English was my favorite class,” She says. “I was lucky to have teachers who nurtured my interest and pushed me to submit my work,” She says.
Her first time seeing her work published was when she was in the 8th grade, and a teacher pushed her to submit some poetry to a publication focusing on young writers. “I thought it was a crazy dream to be published,” She says. “But I was selected to be featured in the collection.” From there, she continued writing and submitting– even winning a few competitions along the way– and it “lit a fire in me that has never been extinguished.”
She started out with poetry, which she describes as her “first love,” but after doing some freelance work, she decided to begin writing “the book I wanted to read.” She credits her success writing her first book in part to her friend and mentor, Kenneth S. Harris, who pushed her to keep going.
Paige has now written and published one book, Kingdom of Endless Summer, which she describes as a “spicy fantasy romance novel” about Isadora, a “misguided trainwreck” who awakes in “a new world” full of magic and friends. This book is available at Maple Grove Books, via Amazon, and at pop-up sales at local vendor events.
Her short story, “The Monsterette,” will be featured in Out of the Cauldron: A Fall Fantasy Collection, a Halloween Anthology set to arrive this year. “My story is a parody of the Bachelorette, but with monster contestants,” She says.
She’s inspired by her passion for reading, anime, K-dramas, and “dreams that I just can’t shake.” Mostly, she writes the stories she wants to read, to draw readers in from their day-to-day lives. “I write to entertain and escape,” She explains.
As for her favorite work so far? It’s actually a book she hasn’t finished yet, titled Chasing Cryptic Creatures, which will also be a fantasy romance. “This concept is one I haven’t seen before, and I’m incredibly excited to write it, but I want to really hone my craft before delving back into it.”
Her favorite part of writing is the chance to build communities. “I am an extrovert, and I crave human interaction. I market heavily on social media to readers and I enjoy getting to know them as much as they enjoy getting to know my characters.”
It can be hard to be a writer in such a small region, which Paige owns up to. “It can feel lonely out there,” She says. “I’m trying to mend that and create a virtual space where authors can lean on each other for support.” This is a group for fantasy writers in WV and KY, and they have weekly meetings every Sunday to discuss goals and accountability.
From here, she plans to break her “massive dreams” down into “smaller mini-goals.” Right now, she’s “most focused on building a loyal reader base.” She hopes to one day see her fans making art and stories about her characters, or even dressing up as one of her characters.
When she’s not writing, she enjoys spending time with her family, watching anime with her kids, and supporting local businesses with her husband by her side.
Interested? Check out Paige’s Facebook page, where she often posts updates and interacts with fans.