Books beyond boundaries

Local author makes a successful switch from romance novels to children's books

HARTINGTON — Romance once ruled her pages, but now Laci Kramer's imagination is running wild — all the way to a zoo full of mythological creatures.

Kramer, who writes under her maiden name — Laci Maskell — has published a total of eight books and is not looking to stop.

The Newcastle High School graduate and current Hartington resident recently self-published a children’s chapter book “Millie Moo & The Mythological Zoo: Escape Of The Unipiggies.”

It’s about an 8-year-old girl named Millie Moo, and she has been in love with mythological creatures her entire life. Then one day at school, her teacher tells her they are opening a mythological zoo in her town and they’re taking student volunteers, so of course she volunteers.

The concept for the recent publication was done in coordination with her former principal when she worked at the Wynot Public School.

“When I was working at the high school, the principal and I were friends and we’d always talk about my writing and books,” said Maskell. “He said he had this idea about someone’s first day at a mythological zoo, and it just goes haywire.”

After a couple of years of promised collaboration without much result, Maskell said she got inspired after her niece and nephew’s birth.

“When my niece and nephew were born, I tried to make picture books, but I just couldn’t do it. I write too many words,” she said.

Turning the idea for the mythological zoo into a children’s chapter book seemed more feasible.

She has finished a sequel to the recent publication and hopes to get it published before the end of the year. Maskell said she plans to make the children’s book into a six-book series and has even more ideas for other stories.

“I’ve got, like, 16 ideas chomping at the bit to write,” said Maskell. Maskell graduated from Wayne State College in 2011 with a major in English writing and literature, and a minor in editing and publishing, but her passion for books began before that.

“In eighth grade, my sister gave me Harry Potter, and that made me fall in love with reading. After that, I just read everything because I didn’t really know what I liked,” said Maskell.

However, she wasn’t inspired to write her own book until inspired by the famous “Twilight” series.

“In high school, my English teacher had the Twilight books, and I kind of fell in love with them.”

The “Twilight” craze led Maskell to her very first novel, “Still Life Moving,” which also features a vampiric romance. Her second book also featured a romantic storyline but took more planning.

“My second book, I wrote, ‘So... That Happened,’ I wanted to write a teen pregnancy book, but I’d never been pregnant, and I didn’t think I could write it,” said Maskell. “Then I watched a TV show, and there was one line of dialogue, and after I heard it, everything clicked into place.”

Her second novel has 72 reviews and a 4.3-star rating on Amazon.

Maskell has written and self-published a trilogy titled “The Phoenix” trilogy, which also features a romantic storyline but was a unique point of view for Maskell.

“She kept her head above water, even though she had so much stuff she was going through. That character goes through it, and I just went through it with her, and I was so proud of that,” said Maskell.

Many of her past books have dual narratives, where the point of view from which the story is told switches between characters. However, in her Phoenix trilogy, the story was told solely from the main character, Casslyn.

“I do write romance, but I try to put in my books a lot about friendship and family dynamics, coming of age stories, because let’s be honest, high school is not easy,” said Maskell.

Because writing is not her fulltime job, Maskell said her writing process often only happens in short breaks throughout her day. Using an outline for her ideas helps the structure flow smoothly.

“Whenever I can, I like to write a lot of notes on my phone, or I have Google Docs on my phone, or I use my iPad whenever I can,” said Maskell. “That way, I know where I am going, so I can just sit down and start writing where I’ve left off. I don’t have to think about where I am going or what I’m doing.”

While many writers draw heavily from personal experience, Maskell takes a different approach. She said her stories and characters are largely detached from her own life.

“When I come up with the characters, they’re their own person, and it’s not my life that influences it,” said Maskell. “I don’t take any inspiration from my life; the only thing I get from my life is the teachers names, because I can never think of teachers’ names.”

Maskell said sharing her stories with the world helps her feel close to those who connect with her work.

“I like it when I have people say to me that they cried while reading my books, it’s like wow, they really connected to something that I wrote,” said Maskell. “I write because I have to; if I weren’t writing, I’d probably lose my mind.”

To complete her novels, Maskell hires a cover designer and illustration artist when necessary. When all is completed and edited, she uses Draft2Digital to make the book available as an eBook or paperback upon order. Maskell said her books can be found on Amazon, Kobo, iBooks, Libby and in Barnes N Noble.

After navigating the world of self-publishing and building her path as a writer, Maskell encourages others to stop second-guessing themselves and take that first step.

“Just do it and don’t be afraid to do it. If you have to have a pen name so you know nothing is holding you back, do it,” said Maskell. “These days, with self-publishing and freelance editors and cover designers, there is literally nothing holding anyone back except themselves.”