Canon-McMillan senior publishes ‘Nidus’
It started out as a birthday present for his girlfriend, and in 18 months mushroomed into a 304-page fantasy novel called “Nidus,” the first of a trilogy.
And it made Benjamin Hladycz of North Strabane a published writer at age 18 while he was still a senior at Canon-McMillan High School.
“To be honest, I didn’t know I had a book,” Hladycz said. “I started because I like to write and she liked what I wrote. So then it turned into a Christmas gift, then an anniversary gift, then an Easter gift and before long it was two years later, and I had a book.”
“Nidus” tells the tale of Seth Jackson, who washes up half dead on a mysterious island with no memory. He is not able to get off the island, which has a castle and a dragon, and is forced to go deeper into the atoll to survive. Seth meets a woman who also has little memory and they work together to survive. But, the fate of the world hangs in the balance and the only way to save it is in Seth’s past.
“It actually isn’t science fiction, it’s entirely fantasy. By fantasy, I mean magic, myths, adventures and those sorts of things,” he said. “I grew up reading those things and always had an affinity for that, so it only felt right to write in that genre.”
The book’s title, “Nidus,” involves part of the plot. Hladycz said it means point of origin, specifically for the culture of bacteria.
“In this instance, it stands for the point of origin for several other things,” he said. “I’d say what, but it would ruin the plot.”
“I also do know how the series will end. Actually, I knew the entire plot for all three before I finished ‘Nidus.’ It has evolved since then, but the basic idea is still the same. And trust me, it’ll be a shocking end.”
At the end of last year, Hladycz sent his “Nidus” manuscript off to a publisher. Even though he was warned his book would likely get rejected, Carol Hladycz said her son only moped for a couple of days and then heard about self-published books. “Nidus” ended up being published through CreateSpace, the self-publishing arm of Amazon.
Hladycz said the actual publishing didn’t cost him a dime. Instead, CreateSpace takes a percentage of each sale.
“He did everything himself,” Carol said.
Well, not exactly. Hladycz’s girlfriend, Ashley Coyle, also a senior at Canon-McMillan, designed the book’s cover, said Carol, adding that her son and Ashley will be attending Edinboro University in the fall. Ben will major in English writing and computer design. Ashley, meanwhile, will major in art. Ben’s twin, Jared, will also be attending Edinboro. Carol’s oldest, Jonah, is a junior and is majoring in business at Slippery Rock University.
Hladycz has been advertising “Nidus,” which sells for $12.99, through word of mouth. The book is also available on Amazon, where it has drawn a couple of favorable reviews.
Carol is not surprised about her son’s writing ability. She said he is an avid reader and had always written stories.
“I am very proud of him,” she said. “He always wears his heart on his sleeve.”
So what advice would Hladycz give aspiring writers?
“Don’t write for fame or fortune,” he said. “Write because you love it, because you want to. If you truly have that passion, the other things will come with time. It’s so hard to take that first step, but it’s a lot easier if you have that passion. “