The Valley is teeming with talented writers

Winters were made for cuddling up and reading a book it seems, and with temperatures dipping below zero recently, now is as good a time as ever to pick up a new volume.

The Valley is filled with authors -- neighbors who may have released a novel you never knew about, an acquaintance who has her own poetry book or a friend who is involved in a writing group.

Over the last several years, Valley authors are getting published more and more -- from genres such as children's books, science fiction novels and even historical nonfiction.

With Christmas right around the corner, there are several books written by Valley authors, or with Valley connections, coming out or that have been released recently.

Take a moment and read a book or two written by the guy that lives next door or the woman you know at the grocery store.

You won't be disappointed by what you read.

Houston teacher writes first novel

By CASEY RESSLER-Valley Life editor

When students in Scott Helle's English classes at Houston High School finish reading the new book Relative, they have the opportunity to speak with the author directly -- he teaches the class.

Helle recently released his first novel, and several of his students have taken the opportunity to read up on their teacher's progress as an author.

"It's interesting when you see one of your students reading your own book," Helle said. "They have told me, 'Mr. Helle, that book is so you.'"

Writing a book doesn't happen overnight, and in Helle's case, it took 10 years. He developed the idea and started writing it while in college as an "aversion" to student teaching, Helle said.

"I wrote a part of it, and then I'd let it sit, and then I'd write it and let it sit," Helle said. "About six years ago, we moved to Alaska and I had an opportunity to finally finish writing. Then, last February I finally got serious about getting it out there to some publishers and seeing if there was any interest."

Helle said he went on the Internet and found as many publishers as possible. He queried many of them, "jumping through as many hoops as I had to," he said.

There was interest from Publish America, a small publishing company, and Helle said everything happened pretty quickly.

"I felt like at least I was getting it published and it is something I'm proud of," Helle said. "Of course you'd like to be with a big publishing house right away, but that's not how it works."

While writing, Helle had a good editor -- his wife, Magy. She also teaches at Houston High School, and Helle said she was a big support during the writing process.

"She's my best critic," Helle said. "She made the book way better than it would have been without her help. She's been through it many times."

Helle said the book is about "playing the realm of reality and questioning what is real and what isn't." The main character, Albert Murdock, is "losing his sanity as he questions the limitations of a three-dimensional universe," the book's cover reads.

"The book asks readers if he is insane, or are the events really real?" Helle said. "There are enough clues in the book to lead the reader one way or another. "Is his reality real? That's the basic premise."

The book has a science fiction feel to it.

"Science fiction isn't my No. 1 choice for writing, but it worked for Relative,'" Helle said. "I tried to follow a real classic format. I wanted to take the reader to a deeper level of thought process."

Relative is only available through Helle, or through the publisher's Web site at www.publishamerica.com, for the time being.

"Right now, I'm in the market for a publicist and we're going to start marketing in Arizona and then, hopefully, nationally," Helle said, noting that he is going to Arizona around Christmas to start the marketing of the book.

Helle said he is already starting to think about the sequel to the book.

"I've got three ideas on how to approach it," he said. "I've learned some things from this book."