Horizon High senior to publish second book

Sixteen-year-old Angely Gentile is using her passions and talents in writing to help give others a break from reality and an opportunity to share collective world experiences. 

The senior at Horizon High School published her first book, “Hasta El Final,” — “Until the End” — a few months ago and plans to publish her second book, “Between Races,” in September. 

Gentile said she wants to write relatable books and has received a large outpouring of positive feedback on her first foray.

“A lot of people go through a lot of different things in their lives,” she said. “I met a woman at one of my book signings who had just lost her husband. I showed her my first book and told her about how it was about a woman who at first didn’t believe in love until she found it, and when she saw it, it was what she needed. By reading these types of books, people can read what they want and need to hear.”

‘YOU CAN MAKE ANYTHING BY WRITING’

Originally from Venezuela, Gentile came with her family 10 years ago to the United States.

She knew no English when she came to the new country, and she learned by taking courses online and watching movies.

Gentile has loved to read and write for as long as she can remember. When she was a young child, she even wrote small books for her mother.

“I’m really proud of coming to another country and learning a whole new language,” she said. “I want to make my Venezuelan people proud. I want to teach other young teenagers like me that they can do anything they set their mind to, just like how I’m achieving my goals.”

About two years ago, she decided to start writing full romance novels.

“I decided to start writing romance books, because I think that a lot of people want something that’s in reality but feels almost like a fantasy with how good it is,” she said. “I want to transport my readers to another world, so that’s the goal for my books.”

“Hasta El Final,” the first book in a planned trilogy, took Gentile about nine months to write.

“Whenever I get a small idea, it all comes to me, and I just start writing the whole book,” she said. “It all just flows out.”

The book stars a young girl named Amara, who recently graduated with dreams of being a writer. She returns to her home where she grew up to get inspiration and finds herself swept up in an eventful summer filled with friendship, love and adventure.

The book can be found on Amazon and on Kindle. 

Photo by Annabelle Sikes

‘YOU HAVE TO FOLLOW WHAT YOU WANT TO DO IN LIFE’

Meanwhile, Gentile plans to launch the second book in the trilogy in December. 

Gentile’s newest planned book, “Between Races,” is about a woman named Natalie who is on a mission. With an obsession with cars and a desire to prove herself, she defies stereotypes by becoming a top mechanic in a male-dominated field, determined to make her mark. The other protagonist, Nicolás Lombardi, is a talented driver who competes for Porsche and dreams of regaining his former glory after a disastrous year. When their worlds collide, both characters lives take an unexpected turn.

Gentile said the idea for the book came to her after visiting the Daytona International Speedway and watching the race cars. She said a lot of her books are inspired after experiences in her own life.

“I also do horseback riding, and I kind of made the comparison with racing and horseback riding, because they both can be dangerous, but you have to follow what you want to do in life,” she said. “I wanted to dedicate this book to people who have passions like this that can be dangerous.”

Gentile’s books are available in both Spanish and English.

In the future, Gentile said she would like to take her skills to the next level by pursuing writing in college. She also would like to try and get more people to read her books, and she wants to write several more. 

When not attending school or working on her writing, Gentile also does dog boarding, pet sitting and pet portraits. When it comes to reading, she enjoys authors including J.K. Rowling and Mercedes Ron.

“I am so proud of her, because she juggles so much at one time,” mother Alexandra Gentile said. “She is so hardworking, determined and fights for what she wants. She always focuses on sharing her stories to help others.”