At 17, Sophia Maria Holland—S. Marie Holland—has already reached a milestone many aspiring authors strive for: publishing her debut novel. A native Arizonan and junior in the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program at Cactus Shadows High School, she has transformed her longtime passion for storytelling into a reality with the release of her first book, Game of Knaves.
Holland’s love of writing began early, from crafting short stories to designing her own handmade books. But it wasn’t until her freshman year that she felt compelled to take the next step and pursue writing more seriously.
“I attended a talk at my school, and the presenter asked, ‘what have you done today to work towards your dream?’’ It was then that I realized I hadn’t been writing at all—not on the proper level if I wanted to become an author one day,” Holland said…