Hood River’s Georgia Haynie published her first inspirational book last month. Haynie walks her talk; she was voted Most Inspirational by her track and field teammates at Horizon Christian School this spring.
Hood River’s Georgia Haynie published her first inspirational book last month. Haynie walks her talk; she was voted Most Inspirational by her track and field teammates at Horizon Christian School this spring.
HOOD RIVER — There were a few hints early on in 16-year-old Georgia Haynie’s life about her ambitions. One was in the first story she remembers writing — in second grade — about a bird named Enniey.
“[Enniey, pronounced “any”] was the only one in preschool that couldn’t fly. So, she jumped off her tree house and broke her wing because she was pushing her limits,” Haynie said. “And then, once her wing healed, she jumped off her bed — because she learned the tree was too high. She learned how to fly.”
Enniey, through trial and error, reached her goal, in part by pushing the limits and learning lessons along the way. That’s pretty much a normal life for most teens. And, in many ways, Haynie is like a lot of teenagers her age: She’s an honor roll student; a multi-sport athlete; someone who likes to hang out with friends. But the Horizon Christian School sophomore distinguishes herself in one big way: She’s also a published author.
Haynie’s book, “12 Steps to Discipleship: For Jesus-loving Teens, written by one,” was released last month and is available at Barnes & Noble. She started writing the 142-page book last summer and the paperback was released in May.
“It’s 12 different steps on discipleship,” Haynie said. “It goes over 12 ways — they’re very vague — and then it goes into details [each chapter] of those steps on how to tighten your relationship with Jesus.”
Haynie, who attends Covenant Hood River Christian church, said the book might appeal to teens who are going through “things that most teenagers go through — just seeing it from a different perspective, perhaps. … Insight on personal testimony and insight on ways or things about Christianity that maybe they hadn’t connected before. … Different insight on different Bible stories.”
Haynie started writing the book in July 2023. “It kind of was more a fun project until winter break, when I was bored and had nothing else to do. So, I started going more deeply into it and then around January I was like, ‘OK, I actually want to publish this’.”
At the beginning of January Haynie said the 71,000-word book contained about 15,000 words. “From January to April, that was when I wrote most of it,” she said. “The places I’ve written my book are random. There was one time [traveling] home from a basketball game, and I was just on the bus sitting alone and I probably wrote 5,000 words on the basketball bus ride.
“The majority of the book was probably written on my bed in the middle of the night when I would think of something to write.”
The goal of her first book was to share about Jesus in an encouraging way. “I’m someone who likes sports and likes talking — a lot,” she said. “Everyone that’s read the book says it just sounds like you’re talking to me. It just sounds like a giant text from you. I like talking and I like giving my opinion. The book is definitely Biblical, but it’s also opinionated.
“My grandma [Diane Level] is obsessed with it. She’s been very encouraging to me. She loved my book a lot, and I definitely am grateful for her support. My family members have definitely been supportive, too.”
Haynie is the daughter of Katie and Erick Haynie; she has a younger brother, Charlie, and an older sister, Caroline. The teen author said she has “a lot of random other things” in the works. “I’m hoping, after this one settles down, once it’s kind of finished — if that makes sense — then I’ll know what book I’ve already started I can finish,” she said.
As a young author, Haynie said the advice she would give to other aspiring authors is: “Let yourself write the book. Obviously, you have other people help you edit it, but don’t write it based on what you think people are going to want to read, write it based on what you want to write. And, just finish it. Set a date when you want to be done with it and be done with it.”
In the book’s overview, Haynie wrote: “I pray this book is a course of encouragement in your walk with Jesus, because the following 12 steps within these pages are only just the beginning.”
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