Local author Andrhea Goertzen debut novel, The Aykotah Daughter, came out on July 11.
The novel is about a princess’s attempts to resist a political marriage with a foreign prince while dealing with a sudden confession of love from her childhood best friend.
“Some authors, they like to basically copy their everyday life but I like to go way out there,” Goertzen said of her writing style. “Let’s be really creative here; it’s a story, let’s play with it.”
The book isn’t a straightforward romance as it has political intrigue, tribal warfare and some light biblical themes.
“One of my pet peeves that can happen in Christian fiction is when characters are quoting scripture or they’re sharing the gospel,” Goertzen said. “It’s like hold on a second, I was in a story why am I in a sermon now.”
Goertzen was born in Port McNeill and lived there until she moved to Smithers in Grade 7. Goertzen spent the rest of her teen years in Smithers before studying at Capernwray Harbour Bible School. She currently resides in town.
The author has been writing for over 10 years as a hobby but only starting taking the craft seriously the past four years.
Goertzen collaborated with FriesenPress to publish the book. It took two years to finish the novel, Goertzen said.
“I really enjoyed the process,” Goertzen said. “The fact I was able to make decisions over my own book was really awesome.”
The Aykotah Daughter can be purchased wherever books are sold online and will be available in local book stores. For more information on Goertzen and where to buy the book visit andrheagoertzen.com.