Race Walters, a graduate of Battle Ground High School, recently published his book “Mason: Us versus the world.” He started writing the book two years ago.
The impact a person or place has on an individual can sometimes go unnoticed.
For the Rocksolid Community Teen Center, its influence is forever published in the form of a novel. Race Walters, a 19-year-old graduate of Battle Ground High School, recently published his novel “Mason: Us versus the World.” In the book, a teenager known as Mason “embarks on his quest to find another ethereal, one like him.”
“In the book there’s a reference to Eden Orphanage quite a few times,” Walters said, explaining how the orphanage is housing for young kids with powers. “It’s actually a pretty close resemblance to Rocksolid. They were a majority of the inspiration.”
Now 19, Walters started the writing and publishing process two years ago when he was still a student at Rocksolid Community Teen Center.
“For the first year and a half (of writing) the kids were the only ones who really read the full manuscript other than my family and friends,” Walters said. “The only reason I went through with (writing and publishing the book) was because these kids cared and wanted to see it happen.”
Rocksolid Teen Center Executive Director Marcy Sprecher said that along with using the kids as inspiration, Walters was a role model and “the kid everyone wanted to be around.”
“It’s great that he felt compelled to write this book and made it a point to make us a part of that. I’m so proud of him. He’s just one of those kids that is full of life and just wants to help as he can and make a difference,” Sprecher said. “I guess I didn’t realize how much of an influence we had on him. We try to make an impact in kids’ lives and sometimes we just don’t know until they tell us.”
Along with remaking Rocksolid in his book, he dedicated a copy to Rocksolid by writing “to the kids who inspired me to write it.”
According to Walters, the book takes place “long ago when every single human on earth had powers of some sort.”
Mason, the main character, is the rarest of these varieties known as an ethereal. The book is about his fight against people who want to hunt down the empowered kids and protect them at all costs.
“I wrote the whole first draft in about a week and a half,” he said.
Originally, he planned on just writing his thoughts down, but as the book progressed, he looked into publishing with his mom and dad. Walters ended up “hybrid publishing” his book through a company known as iUniverse. Hybrid publishing combines the aspects of traditional and self publishing. Publishers such as iUniverse guide authors though the path of publishing without setting restrictions or putting their influence on the process.
“After a little bit of research, we found the one we liked the most and I got into contact with them,” he said.
After seeing the book in his hand for the first time, he was “stunned.”
“I had to buy mine on Amazon to get it faster,” Walters said. “The visual feeling of it is so much different from the idea. I was like ‘oh my gosh, I can’t believe this happened.’”
Walters said he designed the cover himself with a little help from his friends.
“This is a huge symbol,” he said as he pointed to the tattooed wrist on the cover of the book. “It’s the symbol of Dragon Tech incorporated. It’s a blessing and a curse.”
Much of the inspiration for Walters story came from outside influences such as Rocksolid, playing Dungeons and Dragons with his friends and fantasy books he has read. Growing up, Walters said he loved to read Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson series.
“I love his writing. He’s just a super simple writer,” Walters said. “But he is such a wonderful author and I love him.”
Now, Walters is 19 and attends Clark College. He hopes to get an associate’s degree with a focus in marketing and wants to move on to Clark’s marketing program in the fall. He plans to get his marketing degree in about two to three years. Until then, Walters hopes to make the story into a trilogy and spend some time expanding the universe he has created.
“I’m such a huge fan of universe building,” he said. “Just the idea of having a universe expanded outside of the text so that you can have a little more clarification or depth or flesh to a story.”
As for his mother, she is more than happy.
“I’m just amazed,” Walters’ mother Michelle Kirk said. “I’m super proud of what he’s done.”
Walter’s book is available for purchase on Amazon at amzn.to/32olIDJ in both paperback and E-Book format. You can also purchase the book from the publisher at iuniverse.com/en/bookstore/bookdetails/771038-mason.
