“Inspired”

At age 12, most young girls are floundering through their pre-teen years, not even giving consideration to a future career. Not so for Webster resident Victoria (Kasten) Tecken.

“Ambitious” and “accomplished” only begin to describe this confident now 19-year-old author of nine books, and national speaker and writing teacher, who penned her first book manuscript at age 12.

“I love writing and I love to encourage people who want to write or even love to read,” Tecken said. “I was given the opportunity by someone when I started, so it’s really about paying it forward.”

Over the past three years, her numerous appearances as an author at young writers’ conferences throughout Minnesota and at home school conference tours in the eastern half of the United States have given her the opportunity to foster the next generation of writers — her utmost goal — all while continuing to write more books.

Tecken acquired a love of reading from her parents, who often read to her and encouraged “family reading nights” when she was younger. Her journey in writing started as a student of home schooling.

Around age 11, she began writing short stories about horses, but it was after visiting a South Dakota wild horse sanctuary with her parents that inspired her to write a bit longer and go a bit deeper.

At that point, Tecken was constantly writing — even completing a book — and though her mother, Kathy Kasten, thought “The Mighty Stallion” was a lovely piece of writing, it was filed away, for her daughter’s passion truly lied in music: the violin and orchestra.

Two years later, Kasten brought the book to surface and wondered if perhaps something more could come of the manuscript. The next home school project for her daughter: learn how to self-publish a book.

The then 14-year-old Tecken completed her assignment, distributed the book to family and friends, and considered it a done deal. Suddenly, strangers began contacting her, wondering where they, too, could find “The Mighty Stallion.”

“At 14, I wasn’t prepared for everything that was coming and for all the fan mail. But I decided to keep going and write a second book.”

Tecken has now written and published six “Mighty Stallion” books; two fantasy novels, “Iron Heart” and “The Iron Spear” and a poetry and short story collection, “Ink on Their Fingers,” co-authored with her newly wed husband, Benjamin Tecken.

She's now in the process of creating her first audio drama of “Iron Heart,” a book on CD with an original soundtrack, cast of characters and sound effects. The project, which Tecken hopes to have completed by spring 2011, is being created with the help of her college classmates at Bethany Lutheran in Mankato, where she is working toward a bachelor’s degree in theater and acting.

“This whole journey has been such a blessing because it made me who I am as a person and made me comfortable with other people and with sharing my story with them.”

All of Tecken’s books (published under her maiden name Victoria Kasten) are available on her Website, www.EpicScrolls.com, or at Monkey See, Monkey Read bookstore in Northfield and the Northfield Historical Society, where she appears as a guest author each year during the Defeat of Jesse James Days celebration.