After living in others’ fantasy worlds, Penn Hills High School graduate and Upper Burrell resident Jenna E. Faas was ready to create her own.

Writing has been a core passion for Faas, who remembers her mom reading books to her before bedtime at 5 years old. Although she was unable to read the words, she was able to visualize stories from the pictures in them.

“It started as a passion for hearing stories,” Faas said.

Faas would ask her mom to write down ideas for her until she was able to write them down herself. When she was old enough to read and write, Faas would carry a notebook with her to jot down any ideas that came to mind.

Her first taste of knowing she was pursuing the right passion was when her mom entered one of her ideas into a contest called Reflections. Creatives had to submit artwork finishing the prompt, “What if?”

Because Faas would frequently visit her aunt who lived in another state, she pitched a prompt of “What If … angels carried her aunt to Pittsburgh?”

The prompt would end up earning Faas, who was in fifth grade at the time, an award.

Faas credits her sixth-grade English teacher at Penn Hills School District for pushing her to pursue writing.

“He helped give me the confidence to finish my books and do something,” she said.

At 17 years old, Faas wrote her first book. As an independent author, the book took a while to be published because she was self-publishing without an agent. Faas promised herself that by 30, she would fulfill her goal.

“I had been working on this half my life. I wanted to feel like I did something,” she said.

Her first book, “Pixie Dust,” was published last September. The book is the first installment of the “Jelf Academy” series. She describes the book as “Cinderella” meets “Harry Potter.”

The book series follows Jane, the main character, who has to endure living with her stepmom and step-siblings – who despise her – after her dad passes away. Her stepmother makes her a servant to the manor – until Jane discovers she has pixie powers because of her mom. She is invited to Jelf Academy, where she is not fully welcomed by the pixie community because she is half-human. During her time at the academy, Jane has to prove her magical talent to stay at the school.

“I wanted the story to be fantasy, but align with the real world,” she said.

Faas is preparing to publish the second book in the series, “Dragon Scales,” this June. She has five books planned in the series, with four of them already written. She is looking forward to the reactions to her next book.

“There is a very exciting ending to the second book,” she said.

“Pixie Dust” can be purchased on Amazon or Barnes and Noble online.

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