Davala’s “The Soulkind Awakening” 13 years in the making pays off.

Nicole Joerger
September 30, 2013

Not only is Steve Davala a middle school science teacher, husband and a father of two, but he is also the author of the newly published book “The Soulkind Awakening.” Ever since he was a boy Davala, has loved to write. “I’d get my hand on a journal or notebook and start writing a comic or little short stories all of the time” Davala said.

Being a huge fan of “Star Wars” and “Lord of the Rings” makes writing science fiction come naturally to Davala. After 13 years of writing, he self-published his book on April 21, 2013.

“Trying to be original in a world constantly creating new ideas was tough,” Davala said. “Even the smallest details had to be unique.”

“The Soulkind Awakening” is his first book in a projected three book series. It combines magic, mystery, good and evil all in one fast paced story that you can’t put down.

“After lying dormant for a thousand years, the Soulkind awaken. Many step forward to claim their magic, but childhood dreams quickly fade under the harsh reality of its return.” Davala said. “Who will wield the Soulkind and who must watch helplessly as magic lies forever out of reach? Who will their power corrupt? What unforeseen dangers will they bring?”

“Jace and his friends stumble through these questions as they try to find their way in a world where the Soulkind Awakening changes everything they know.” If you loved “Lord of the Rings” you will love “The Soulkind Awakening.” According to many amazon book reviewers.

Positive reviews on Amazon average a five star rating. “The Soulkind Awakening” is available on Amazon in paperback for $8.54 and a Kindle version is available for $1.99.

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About the Contributor

Nicole Joerger, Co-Editor-in-Chief

If you asked Nicole Joerger, senior, what her greatest passion in life was a few months ago, the answer might have been simpler. For Joerger, dance was her life -- often practicing more than five hours every day, barely finding time to squeeze in homework, friends and journalism. However this year, she is taking a break from dance and looking at life through a new perspective. “My parents told me that if I didn’t dance this year they would pay for my car insurance,” Joerger said. “So that was a way for me to save money. Also I’m taking AP classes, plus Amplifier, so I thought it would be good to have more free time.” Finding just what to do with that free time is proving a little more difficult. Coming home without a full schedule is a foreign feeling for Joerger. “It’s definitely strange to be able to sit down and just chill after school.” That doesn’t mean she plans on relaxing her senior year away. As Co-editor-in-chief of the Amplifier, her plate is still full. Joerger has a long list of improvements and plans for the publication that she hopes to implement this year. “I’ve learned a lot, and I want to put my ideas into place. I definitely want to be stricter with deadlines this year and stay organized,” she said. Last year, Joerger unofficially took on a leadership position in the class, and discovered she enjoyed it. Over the summer, Joerger spent hours creating spreadsheets, plans and story ideas for the Amplifier to use in the fall. “It just kind of happened naturally,” Joerger said. “I wanted to have better organization so I sort of took the issue into my own hands, and I found I really liked having a bigger role in class.” Maybe that’s because it reminds Joerger of her future career aspirations as a teacher. Spending time with her little niece and nephew reinforces how much she wants to teach elementary school. “They have such positive outlooks on life. They’re always smiling and are never stressed, which is a quality I admire,” she said. No matter her focus in life, Joerger makes it seem easy. Even without ballet, leading a class, while keeping focused on the future, is no easy task. But after eleven years of dancing, Joerger has learned to balance her responsibilities with grace.