Victoria: The First Step

by | Jul 11, 2023 | Author | 0 comments

My name is Kelly Atwood-Moreyn, and Victoria The First Step is my first published book.

It is the first book in the fantasy series The Diamond Chronicles. Victoria lives on an island with her widowed mother. There is a rebellion called The Ripple brewing in hopes of overthrowing their unjust prince from the throne. She wants to help the cause more directly than teaching in an underground school, but the Ripple doesn’t want her to do more because of her connections to Prince Paul. Magic has been outlawed and her long-deceased father was a wizard. Victoria aspires to live up to his reputation. She has a best friend, a finance’ and a well-paying job as a private tutor to three children. While visiting another island, her hopes of leading her ideal life begin to unravel when Prince Paul holds her mother hostage. Victoria must disregard the advice of others to launch a rescue mission with the help of only a visiting knight from another island.

She also learns she might be the prophesied savior, but no one knows for sure.

Another woman fits the legendary description, but Victoria isn’t at odds with her; instead, there is an understanding between them. This is a quest story full of magic, friendship, and a strong desire to protect. For this book, I drew inspiration from the movie Quest for Camelot, the TV movie Princess of Thieves, and the book series T*Witches. The common themes from these sources were a legendary father, medieval or fantasy setting, magic use, and occasionally a name. I also drew inspiration from my favorite author Tamora Pierce for her strong female characters. My goal in everything I write is for the reader to fall in love with these characters who used to live only in my mind. I want them to laugh, cry, and root for them, begging to know what will happen next to their favorite character.

While Book One is a quest story, Book Two will delve into paranormal themes.

It will address the understanding that there are powers bigger than us and laws that should not be broken. Book Three will wrap up Victoria’s story as she will take her rightful place on the island. My target audience is middle grade girls. As Victoria’s saga continues, the story will grow deeper, the plot will grow darker, and the stakes for all characters will increase. My main goal moving forward with this series is to greatly expand the setting. Since the world is an archipelago, it leaves an open door for the creation of exciting characters and plots. Throughout all the books, I plan to take the reader to every island. Victoria will be the main character for three books; then, The Diamond Chronicles will backtrack timewise, focusing on another island and completely new characters.

Another future project connected to Victoria is a companion book that will expand on main characters’ backstories and Victoria’s future.

I also plan on writing an anthology series that will explore the truth behind a legend the main character mentions. The story connected to Victoria is the lesson she taught her students about the last dragon in the land. I am grateful to places like Author Lounge and their work to assist new authors find their audience and help readers find their next favorite book. I started writing in sixth grade with Star Wars fan fiction; original story ideas began in seventh grade. Victoria began central to my writing life in my freshman year of high school while I majored in fashion design.

It took me many years to finally set a plot in stone and expand this world.

I have writing projects both connected and not connected to Victoria planned, and I continue to intermittently work on fanfiction. I would like the potential to dedicate the time and energy needed to write all my planned stories. You can find me on social media at Author Kelly Atwood-Moreyn on Facebook and @Atwoodmoreyn on Instagram.  I graduated from SUNY Purchase with a bachelor’s degree in literature and a minor in history. I currently live in New Jersey, married to my high school sweetheart and raising our daughter. 

Victoria The First Step is available for purchase on Amazon

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