Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic.- Fifteen year old Angela Hanna Goulene is an extraordinary teen doing extraordinary things in Sosua, Dominican Republic.  She’s just finished her first novel, a 300 page tale that revolves around kids her own age, but with chillingly dark and somewhat adult themes. The novel, Situations, is slated to be published by small local imprint, New Sinai, on October 31st of this year.

Just two weeks ago, Angela was talking about her completed project at Emily Watson Drama Classes, where she is enrolled, and was advised to speak with the people at Sosua’s Book Nook.  From there she was introduced to community activists Father Johnson and his wife, Martha Hayden-Johnson, who immediately recognized Angela’s potential.  They got to work editing the manuscript and their enthusiasm only grew.  Father Johnson commented, “I read the novel and found it to have seeds of greatness and even genius embedded in it.”

We interviewed Angela, who is of French/African decent and moved to Sosua in April 2008, just after her 14th birthday.  Her spark and energy were apparent as she approached, but before I could get up to greet her, a woman sitting near me (though I didn’t know it at the time, it was Martha Hayden-Johnson) stopped her first, “I have a surprise for you...”  I watched Angela take a piece of paper and begin to read, her eyes widening wildly, “Can I scream??” she squealed, and then proceeded to do so.

The piece of paper was an encouraging email from the infamous master of horror himself, Steven King.  Amazingly, Angela has also received supportive correspondence from gothic bestseller, Ann Rice.  “This could never happen, I know I’m going to wake up!” Angela exclaimed at one point during our interview.

Situations is loosely inspired by feelings and people Angela knew while still attending school in France.  Her antagonist is Jason Jackson, a 16 year old semi-evil genius bent on perverting and controlling his 14 year old second cousin, Theresa, during a two-week visit.  “He’s wrong, he’s bad, he’s sexy!” exclaimed Angela, a “fan girl” of her own writing.  The innocence versus the sadomasochistic themes are illustrated in her hand-penned book cover, featuring Angela’s lifelong teddy bear, Sourissel, or “Salty Mouse” in English, sitting on top of a pair of handcuffs.

The book was composed entirely here in the Dominican Republic and written in English, though Angela’s first language is French and she is also fluent in Spanish.  “I think I have more emotion in English.  It’s less Steven Kingish - with random creepy things - when I write in French.”

Angela is already well in to her second novel.  An experimental work written in a variety of styles with things like scientific experiments gone wrong and the possibility of other dimensions.  Writing has been her dream since she was a little girl, but finishing a big project like this isn’t easy.  Angela ended our interview by giving some advice to other young aspiring authors:

“I wrote a lot of things I couldn’t finish before, short stories, the beginnings of novels.  I think that if you know the ending from the start you get bored much easier and you can’t let yourself be bored.  You need to want to know what’s going to happen.  I mean, have at least vague ideas of what’s to come, but that’s it.  This is the first thing I finished and it was almost completely improvised.”

“Try to feel what you’re writing or write about what you’re feeling.  If you’re sleepy, write a scene where the character is tired or if you’re writing about being cold, imagine being sooo cold.  Think of icebergs!”

While getting the last few drops from her glass of coke, she exclaimed with her infectious laugh, “Wait, I have to add this: Remember the important things in life: a teddy bear, a coca cola, and a letter from Steven King!”