Spotlighting: Author Vella Karman
young Christian author Vella + her new book
Let’s jump straight into today’s post, shall we?
Hey Vella! So glad to have you here at Bibliophile's. Could you tell readers a little about yourself?
Yes! I love God, people, and stories. I'm a twenty-year-old homeschool alumnus, and I'm passionate about Jesus, belonging, and fighting fear with faith.
You're a young Christian author with published work out in the world. How does that feel? How has the journey been for you?
Honestly, the journey has been littered with tears. I can't tell you how many times I've questioned my ability to do this. But God continues to show me his gentle kindness every day.
Speaking of published work, please tell us about what you've written!
My first published book, Fantastical Summer, is a beach read for the Christian girls. The collection features fifteen beautiful, faith-filled stories with fun summer vibes and deep themes. Every story is written by a different author, and each one is set in a version of our world, but with a magical twist! Readers are loving the twists, which range from clean romance in a world where everyone has a "soul mark," to mermaids, to magic portals.
What was it like working on Fantastical Summer with a team of writers and editors and publishers? How and when did the seed for "a collection of fun, faith-filled short stories" get planted?
It was actually a very small team. I did most of the editing work for the book as the Managing Editor. The publisher (The Pearl) and producer (The Company) of the book were both represented by my Supervising Editor, Brad Pauquette, who has decades of experience in the field. The other fourteen authors were an absolute pleasure to work with and I'm honored to have my work published alongside theirs.
What is the "why" behind what you do?
I want to write stories that show all people experience raw joy and raw pain, but God has REAL power in that.
Do you have a community or support-group for your writing?
There is absolutely no way I could've come this far without a community supporting me. I participated in The Young Writer's Workshop for a long time, and I'm currently an apprentice at The Company (you can find them at writers.company), not to mention my amazing friends and family.
Where can we find you online?
You can connect with me at vellakarman.com! If you're a writer, fill out my contact form and I'd love to give you more information about my editing services.
Thanks for doing this interview! Do you have any last words for our readers?
Fantastical Summer is designed to be a beach read, but that doesn't mean that you can't read it in winter. The stories are beautifully brave, thought-provoking, and God-honoring. That's worth reading any time of the year. ;)
I was gifted a copy of Fantastical Summer by Vella and the publisher to review for this post. I have to say, at the beginning of 2025, reading more short stories was not my goal. In fact, I didn’t even want to read short stories but one thing led to another and I’ve read two anthologies so far.
Fantastical Summer is a brilliant melting pot of short stories, each a unique concept that hooked my attention from page one. I didn’t expect myself to want to procrastinate various things just so I could keep reading but alas, I did. And I don’t regret it one bit. ;) These authors truly made every word count and understand pacing and plot. My favorite part? The marriage of faith and fiction. So. Well. Done. Although each story wrapped up cleanly, I dearly wish they were novel-length so I could discover the backgrounds of characters, the nitty-gritty details of how they came to be, and what happens next.
If you’re intrigued, you can find Fantastical Summer: A collection of fun, faith-filled short stories on Amazon!
Vella, it was a privilege having you here on Bibliophile’s! I truly enjoyed doing this interview with you and writing up this post. 😊
Readers, if you haven’t read Fantastical Summer yet or checked out Vella’s website, what are you waiting for??
Ooooh this sounds soo good!! :)