By Alexia Dolan
NKyTribune intern
Florence writer N.V. Haskell, won third place at the 39th Annual L. Ron Hubbard Achievement Awards Event in Hollywood.
The Writers of the Future Contest awarded Haskell a cash prize in addition to having her story, The Mystical Farrago, published in the international bestselling anthology, L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future Volume 38.
The Mystical Farrago is now available on Kindle and print copies are making their way to local bookstores on June 28.
Born in Texas, Haskell and her family made many moves across the United States before returning to Northern Kentucky in 2013. Earning her Bachelor’s of Biology at Eastern Kentucky University, Haskell currently is a part-time occupational therapist, author and yoga instructor. She lives in Florence with her husband, children and pets – including a cat and rescue dog.
Haskell rediscovered her repressed passion for writing during the pandemic, after an injury and quarantine left her stuck at home. She writes fantasy and science fiction and is an amateur historian with a focus on Chinese history and mythology.
“My parents did not have a lot of fantasy or science fiction novels in our home. When I was a child, our shelves were full of historical, theological and political books,” says Haskell. “Grimm’s Fairy Tales” were my first taste of fantasy and sci-fi, soon after my older brother influenced me into reading Lord of the Rings, kick-starting my love for reading and writing in those genres.”
Deep Magic e-zine published her first professional story for the final issue in 2021.
Searching for connection in a dangerous world is a favorite theme of Haskell’s, which is also displayed in The Mystical Farrago. Haskell credits authors such as Meredith Ann Pierce, Terry Pratchett and Anne McCaffrey for inspiring her to find a voice through writing fantasy.
“Life often gets in the way of passions, it’s good to know you can always come back to the things that make your heart sing,” Haskell says about rekindling her love for literature.
When Haskell is not working on one of her short stories, one can find her at the Cincinnati Comic Expo, Harveysburg Renaissance Fair, reading multiple books at a time or teaching yoga at Full Body Fitness.