Casady Graduate Publishes Young-Adult Fantasy Novel

Many Casady students have had big dreams of becoming a published author post-high school. For Hannah Parker (‘16), this dream just became a reality. On September 28th, Hannah published her first novel, Autumn’s Tithe. It is a young-adult fantasy novel, taking a lot of inspiration from both history and folklore. Although it is mostly geared towards teens, it has universal appeal.

Writing a book has been a passion project for Hannah since her high school graduation. An avid reader her entire life, some of her favorite authors and stories inspired her to write Autumn’s Tithe. Hannah didn’t start the process with the intent of becoming a published author but instead took on the challenge of trying to write an entire book. However, along the way, she “fell in love” with the characters and world she had created. “It’s what I wish I had been able to have in high school,” Hannah says. “I really hope that it can be a safe space for teens to have. High school can be hard, and I think that reading is a great way for people to have a break from the pressures of their daily lives.”

After graduating from Casady in 2016, Hannah earned a bachelor’s degree in English Literature at Oklahoma State University. During college, she was able to work at two different internships in the publishing field. The road to publication was not an easy one for Hannah, and this experience in the publishing world proved helpful. While trying to get her book picked up by an agent, she realized that the traditional route was not for her and made the decision to self-publish. However, there were many parts of the publishing process that she loved, so she started her own publishing house. In the future, Hannah is hopeful to publish other people’s work in addition to her own. However, she is certainly going to keep busy until that day comes, as Autumn’s Tithe is part of a trilogy! She is currently working on her master’s degree in Publishing and Writing at Emerson College in Boston, Massachusetts.

Hannah came to Casady as a freshman from Westminster. She found the atmosphere here to be much more competitive, but said it pushed her to work harder. This ultimately ended up helping her in the writing and publication processes, as this particular field requires you to be very self-motivated and driven. She is also very grateful to the fantastic English teachers she had at Casady, including Mrs. Finley, Ms. Stone, and Dr. Hubbell, all of whom helped strengthen her writing skills. Many of these familiar faces, including Mr. Sheldon, could be seen at Hannah’s book launch at Best of Books in Edmond. This outpouring of support for Hannah goes to show what a strong sense of community and pride our school has in itself and its graduates. Hannah’s book Autumn’s Tithe can be purchased at Best of Books or on Amazon in Kindle, hardcover, or paperback format.