A magical pirate fantasy has landed in the Shuswap to enchant readers of all ages.

Since she was 14 years old, Eagle Bay author K.J. Cloutier has wanted to write Beyond the Horizon. She鈥檚 had some form of the same story written since that time and never gave up on her dream of publishing it for the world to read.

Inspired by her love for the Pirates of the Caribbean movies and the Harry Potter franchise, Cloutier wanted to read something that combined those worlds and elements and at the time couldn鈥檛 find any stories like what she imagined.

So, she decided to write one herself.

Beyond the Horizon is a young adult fantasy where the characters are around 17 years old but Cloutier said she wrote it so adults can enjoy it as well. The book features magic, secrets, love stories, pirate ships and fantastic adventure, all things Cloutier has daydreamed about her whole life.

While the story is fictional, Cloutier said there are elements of her life in the book as it鈥檚 been with her for half of her years.

鈥淎 big one would be, when I was a teenager, my grandmother died suddenly, and that shows up in the book in a couple of characters who are dealing with loss,鈥� said Cloutier.

The journey to a published book from a 14-year-old鈥檚 dream was a long one with many interruptions, said Cloutier. Thirty-one now, it wasn鈥檛 until her 20s that she picked up the book and seriously began rewriting and editing the story. She said her biggest hurdle was the learning curve, figuring out what she wanted to do with the story and navigating the publishing industry.

Cloutier鈥檚 advice for aspiring authors of any age is to never give up.

鈥淜ind of a boring answer, I know, but you have to keep on writing even if you give up the first idea and actually start a new one,鈥� laughed Cloutier. 鈥淢ost people don鈥檛 do what I do, just keep rewriting the same one, but I really believed in my first idea and I wanted to see it out there. The best part was actually holding the physical, finished book in my hands. I鈥檇 been dreaming about that for a very long time and it was a surreal moment.鈥�

The book was published on Feb. 7, 2023, and can be purchased at Bookingham Palace in Piccadilly Mall in Salmon Arm, on Amazon, online at Barnes and Noble, and can be ordered through most other bookstores.

On March 11, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Cloutier will be signing copies of Beyond the Horizon at Bookingham Palace.

鈥淚鈥檓 born and raised in Salmon Arm and I used to work at Bookingham, so it鈥檚 really special to have my first signing there.鈥�

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rebecca.willson@saobserver.net
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