To read is to travel different worlds and times, and one Union County woman has added her name to the roster of local fiction authors creating worlds for others. Casey Robinson recently published her first book, “Legacy Rising,” and she promises more to come.
“It came to me when I was in high school,” the UCHS Class of 2020 graduate said of the initial plot. “As cliché as it sounds, I had a dream about something wild and I was like, ‘Huh, I’m going to write that down before I forget it.’”
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Along her book-writing journey, Robinson encountered muses in other places as well. As an avid reader, she pulled inspiration from the stories she consumed and even found use for real-life events reported in the news.
Motivation came and went, but she credits her husband John with helping to fuel some of her drive. The pair met while enrolled at the University of North Georgia in Dahlonega, where she graduated in December 2023.
Fascinated with her decision to publish, John’s interest in her novel pushed Robinson to work harder toward the finish line, and her book finally hit shelves last October.
In describing her writing style, Robinson utilized some writers’ terminology to illustrate how it works. “Plotters” are self-explanatory, but then there are authors who fly by the seat of their pants – that is, “pantsers.”
“I’m kind of in between there somewhere,” she said with a laugh. “I think I lean more heavily toward the pantsing style of writing in that I figure it out as I go.”
Like most rough drafts, “Legacy Rising” went through several reworks before its final iteration. Robinson also took writing breaks, allowing creativity to happen between life events such as graduation and marriage. In total, she estimates it took eight months to complete the book.
“It’s set in modern day; it’s got elements of both fantasy and sci-fi,” Robinson said before providing some details about the novel and her protagonist, 17-year-old Emre Logan.
Emre has experienced a rough life. Raised by her uncle until his passing when she was 12, Emre has been left to deal with the difficult world of foster care. If that wasn’t enough, she also endures bullying, and it is during this latter challenge that she learns something magical about herself.
“She discovers that she has this otherworldly ability, and it puts her in the sights of five other teens who have the same type of ability,” said Robinson. From there, Emre finds out about her heritage, leading her to a different dimension – a “world within a world,” as Robinson describes.
As with any good hero’s journey, Emre must navigate this new facet of her life and learn to master her powers, all while unraveling the mystery of her lineage.
Robinson said she plans to reveal more about the world and her characters by making this first novel the beginning of a trilogy.
Of course, the young author already has some things mapped out. While the first book takes place on Earth, the second and third novels will welcome readers to Emre’s home dimension. Robinson offered some tantalizing hints about this new setting.
For one, the dimension must be accessed via specific portals known only to its natives, and just like Earth, there are different countries or provinces. The differences in accents and cultural nuances render a familiarity to its residents while still enriching worldbuilding.
Robinson made clear that Emre and her people aren’t aliens or fairy-folk. In her own words, they look and talk just like humans.
And their abilities differ, with some boasting powers like optic lasers or flight. Even within the book, these abilities are referred to as “superhero-like” and certainly come in handy when the user is threatened – as in the case of Emre.
In addition to establishing herself amid a new reality and coming to grips with the intricacies of her identity, the heroine must also dodge an assassin on her trail.
When it comes to getting “Legacy Rising” published, Robinson went through Fulton Books, a company dedicated to helping new authors start strong. Fulton handled the editing and cover design, and Robinson praised the company for its fairness.
“They don’t take a cut until you make back what you put into it,” said Robinson, noting that authors can choose from a variety of service packages. This includes everything from bare minimum production and publication to marketing strategies that pitch the novel to Hollywood filmmakers.
With the first part of Emre’s story now available to the public, Robinson is on the lookout for an agent to help her market the next installment.
In the meantime, she keeps a document listing all of her book ideas and is actively working on other writing projects. Some take place in the same setting and others don’t, though she primarily sticks to the genres of fantasy or romance.
But readers can rest assured she will return to the world of “Legacy Rising” in due time.
To purchase a copy of the book and support an up-and-coming local author, search online at Amazon or Barnes and Noble.
Robinson is the daughter of proud parents Jim and Alysia Hargus of Blairsville.
