Friday, April 19, 2024
Gatesville High School junior Blake Barnes displays his book, which was recently published by Newman Springs Publishing firm. Two copies of his book were acquired by the Gatesville High School Library and are now a part of the library’s collection.
When 16-year-old Gatesville High School junior Blake Barnes was in the seventh grade, he began writing the first draft of his book titled “The Hellish Fungus of Bornewich.” He never dreamed his book would be published, but it was, last year by Newman Springs Publishing firm.
The book penned by Barnes is a 13-chapter fictional novella about a medical student named William Adgen who becomes friendly with a patient, Professor George Stannard. Stannard tells Adgen about certain sinister things in the Domerse Caves at the edge of town, and Adgen seeks to investigate.
Barnes said he has always enjoyed writing. He was 11 years old when he first started writing stories as a hobby. Barnes found inspiration to write from reading authors like R.L. Stine and Stephen King from an early age. He fell in love with the works of Edgar Allan Poe, H.P. Lovecraft, and Ambrose Bierce.
The “About the Author” section of his book states: “The influence of (the author) Lovecraft is especially apparent in Blake’s works as he often invokes themes of insignificance and ignorance. Blake produces his first published work as a love letter to these themes and story beats, and he welcomes others to be as inspired as he has been.”
Barnes said he is especially fond of the style of writing found in the fictional books written by H.P. Lovecraft. Barnes mentioned his use of “big purple language” – defined as writing or speech characterized by ornate, flowery, or hyperbolic language.
Discussing his writing skills, Barnes reflected, “I would not enjoy writing, reading, or the written word in general, without Candice Garvin. She was my fourth grade English teacher, and now she works as a librarian at the Gatesville Intermediate School. I didn’t know what a comma was before I took her class, and I cannot express with simple words the impact she has made on my life.”
In the dedication page of his book, in addition to Candice Garvin who inspired him, Barnes also thanked teacher Emily Pritchett for educating him and teacher Michelle Fast for the encouragement she gave him.
When his book was first published, Barnes said his father helped him establish the financial end of his publication, setting up an account where his royalties could be paid.
“Because of this, my mother didn’t know anything of my publication, so I sought to surprise her with the news on Mother’s Day, but publication took a bit longer, so it became a birthday present for her,” Barnes said.
The Gatesville High School Library now has copies of his book.
“I was certainly flattered when the Gatesville High School Library decided to include two copies of my book,” Barnes said.
The young man, who has an extremely enhanced vocabulary and excels in his definition of words, could almost be described as a human dictionary.
“I’ve had many friends asking me for definitions of multiple words,” Barnes said.
Barnes said he does not plan to stop writing.
“Currently, I am working on a novel, a detective story. After that, I will venture into a vampire-related alterna-historical tale about the French Revolution,” he said.
Barnes plans to attend college, and his dream is to achieve a doctorate in forensic psychology.
Copies of his book can be found on both Amazon and Barnes & Noble online retailers.
