Kaleb Nation fits squarely into the Internet generation. The young writer is all about tweets and posts and blogging. And he wouldn't have it any other way.
Nation, who penned the Bran Hambric series, "The Farfield Curse" and "The Specter Key," is connecting with readers on a different level than most authors, but for him, it's the most natural progression.
Twitter, blogging and YouTube are similar in a lot of ways to an old-school book club newsletter, Nation says. But instead of corresponding with few fans through letters, Nation can reach tens of thousands in a few minutes.
Kids today are so connected through social media, Nation said. It's easy to respond to 200 tweets. And social media allows fans to gain a sense of an author's personality.
"I'm so close to (readers') ages that I'm not creepy, you know, not an old creepy author," he said. "I can almost be their pseudo friend."
Just by being online, Nation is marketing his work, and he believes most of the people who have discovered his books, have discovered them on the Web.
Nation, who also creates and produces videos for YouTube, was in the middle of two book tours — that of Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl ("Beautiful Darkness") and his own — when he spoke with the Deseret News from his hotel room in Denver.
In addition to signing his own books, Nation was livestreaming, filming and interviewing Garcia and Stohl on many of their stops.
While Nation is utilizing the Internet in ways many authors have never considered, it's his own personal story that makes him stand out.
Nation began writing when he was 9 years old. Not because he wanted to, but because his mom made him. As a homeschooler, Nation was required to produce one page of creative writing each week. After a while of writing these kind of stories, Nation found he actually liked it. Soon, he said, instead of being forced to write, there were rules limiting the amount of writing time.
"It was a giant flip from hating it to taking over my whole life," Nation said.
It was so much of a flip that before he had even reached his teens, Nation was calling the top book editors in New York City, trying to pitch stories. Those calls almost invariably ended with being transferred to security, but Nation was not deterred.
When Nation was 14, he was hit with idea of a boy and banker sitting on a roof waiting for a robber. "I just had so many questions I had to answer from this weird image in my head," Nation said. "From there I kept writing constantly."
It took Nation a couple years to finish "The Farfield Curse," but by the time he was 19, Nation had an agent and a book deal.
"I dreamed very big, and I didn't want anything to get in my way," Nation said. "If I want something, I will get it or I will die trying … I've learned to work around the problems."
In a lot of ways, Nation's book is a family affair. His four siblings — he's the oldest — grew up with Bran Hambric. Nation was constantly sharing his story with his siblings, and since all the kids varied in age, he worked hard to make it appealing for everyone. "It was pretty much our childhood," Nation said. "Our family would sit around the table and talk about it and re-enact scenes. … It was our story."
That said, Nation didn't write his book for any one age. He just wrote the story. It's a tale he says that resonates with children because it deals with choices. The choices may not be the same as real life, but kids can relate. They also enjoy the idea of magic inside a normal society.
Nation thinks his own delight with the story also rings true. "I enjoy the story a lot, I really do," he said. "When I read it, I actually enjoy it as well. I didn't write it to be a commercial success. I just love the story and the world."
While Nation knows exactly what will happen in his series' next installment, he hasn't started writing it yet. There is a detailed outline, but Nation says it'll be sometime in late November or December before he gets started on Book 3.
At 22, Nation acknowledges he has a whole career in front of him. He also realizes he still has a lot to learn. It's a slow process becoming established, he said. "Eventually I want to be a respected writer. … I want to write stories people will enjoy and remember."
If you go …
Who: Kaleb Nation
When: Tuesday, Oct. 26, 7 p.m.
Where: The King's English Bookshop, 1511 S. 1500 East
Phone: 801-484-9100
Web: www.kingsenglish.com
Also,
When: Wednesday, Oct. 27, 6 p.m.
Where: Layton Market Center Barnes and Noble, 1780 N. Woodland Park Drive
Phone: 801-773-9973
e-mail: jharrison@desnews.com