Daydreams, imagination and real life turned a local woman's 'movies of the mind' into her first dark fantasy novel.
Abbie Bowen, a nurseby- day/author by night, recently self-published her first book, 'Vengeance of a Stolen Soul,' a story of love, betrayal, heartbreak and loss, loosely inspired by the Bushnell-Prairie City High School graduate's life experience.
'I've always been a daydreamer, and for as long as I can remember, I've had stories playing in my head - entire scenes just like a movie. The idea for 'Vengeance of a Stolen Soul' came from a mix of imagination and real emotion,' Bowen explained. 'I wanted to write about a woman who goes through those things and instead of staying broken, she rises from it and becomes stronger.'
'Vengeance of a Stolen Soul' follows Lena, a nurse who begins to discover she has powerful abilities that she never knew existed. As her life starts to unravel, she is forced to face the truth about who she really is. At its core, it is a story about survival, self-discovery and what it means to rebuild yourself after everything you trusted is ripped away.
It has strong sisterhood bonds, romance, action and emotional depth.
'The inspiration for the story and its characters came from a mix of imagination and real emotion.
Many of the characters are loosely shaped by people and experiences from my own life,' she pointed out.
One of the characters is inspired by her late nephew Reid Brewer, who passed away Aug. 6, 2017 at the age of seven, three years after being diagnosed with Neuroblastoma. Bowen said Reid was the kind of person everyone loved the moment they met him.
'He was kind, generous and so funny, with a wisdom that felt far beyond his years. I wanted to capture that in a character who brings calm, guidance and compassion to others,' Bowen imparted. 'Including him in the story was incredibly important to me. It felt like a way to honor who he was and keep a part of him living on. There is a dedication to Reid in the book, because I wanted anyone who reads it to know how deeply loved he is and always will be.'
For several years, Bowen thought it would be fun to write down some of the stories swirling about in her mind; however, she never thought it would be good enough to be worth reading. Until one day, she decided to go for it. She first started jotting down ideas for a few different stories about three years ago. While her schedule as a nurse and a mom can be busy, she's lucky to work three 12-hour shifts, which gave her four days off each week to focus on writing.
'Most of the book really came together when I was off work for a couple of months recovering from back surgery. I didn't have much else to do, so I leaned into it fully. Most days, I was writing from the time I woke up until I went to bed,' she shared. 'And I can say with absolute certainty that I would not have been able to do this without the help of my best friend and editor, Sarah Dean. She has been my ride or die for nearly 15 years and has a degree in English literature. She's been there from the very beginning fixing my grammar (and there was a lot), helping me find the right words when I couldn't and encouraging me every step of the way.'
What kept her motivated along the way was seeing something that had lived only in her imagination finally come out on paper.
'It was exciting, and every time I finished a chapter, I couldn’t wait to start the next one,' she added. 'I was completely pulled into the story and just wanted to keep going.'
It also didn't hurt that Bowen has always been an avid reader. Books are her way of relaxing and escaping reality for a little when real life is 'a bit too much.' She said that reading gives her a chance to slow down, reset and disappear into another world for a bit. Readers can disappear into the 544-page 'Vengeance of a Stolen Soul,' which is available in paperback, hard copy and as a Kindle e-book, on Amazon, as well as online at Barnes & Noble and Wal-Mart, and in person at The Smut Wagon in Macomb and Book Rack Books & Gifts in Peoria. The response thus far has been positive, she noted, with a few readers checking in from across the pond (Australia and the UK).
While 'Vengeance of a Stolen Soul' is a standalone story, Bowen's writing days aren't over.
'I definitely plan to keep writing, and I’m most likely going to stay within the fantasy genre for my next project,' she concluded. 'I haven’t officially started book two yet, but I have ideas I’m excited to explore.'
