‘Why don’t I just do it myself?’

Growing up, soccer was a passion and pastime for now senior student Shielle Burks, and she was prepared to play during her time at Washington Township High School (WTHS). 

However, things did not go as planned. 

Going into her freshman year during summer 2022, Burks tore her ACL while playing in the town’s summer league. After a total reconstructive knee surgery, her soccer career–as she knew it–was over. 

“It was really disappointing,” Burks said. “And because I was obviously going to a new (school), I already had a lot of anxiety. Then going into freshman year on crutches gave me a whole lot of attention.”

She was navigating a new chapter of her life, like any other high school freshman. And on top of that, she was left on crutches and without “the soccer player” identity she had known her whole life. 

While she was left with newfound free time during the start of the school year, she was drawn back to another longtime identity of hers: writer. 

“I was sitting on the couch and was always watching romance movies and (reading romance) books. I was like, ‘What if I just did it myself?’ Like, write my own book and use my own imagination,” she said. 

Burks recalled all the stories she would write as a kid, and she said she “actually wrote her first book in second grade.” Her parents used to buy her blank books, and she would fill them up with writing, stories and drawings.

Burks’ lifelong passion for writing and interest in romance stories led her to the nearly four-year-long creation of “Magnets,” her 530-page young adult (Y/A) dark romance novel, which was published through Amazon and released on August 21. 

The book follows Amara, a teenage girl whose father passed away when she was 10 years old and was recently abandoned by her mother, who is struggling with substance use. She moves in with her aunt during her senior year of high school. However, two weeks before the school year starts, she was kidnapped by a teenage boy Lorenzo, “who for some odd reason” let her go. Amara now finds herself in a tense, angry relationship with Lorenzo as she tries to figure out what happened, all while an unexpected romance starts to bloom between them. 

The novel switches between the perspective of Amara and Lorenzo, though it mostly follows Amara. 

Burks said the only thing she could relate to in the book was being a teenage girl in high school. However, she has been a longtime fan of romance novels and movies, which heavily influenced her story. 

In addition to reading books, Burks said when she was 11 she started reading a lot on Wattpad, a popular website where anyone can upload original writing, and a big demographic of its stories are romance-based. 

“(Those stories) inspired me a lot, especially with the whole kidnapping situation in my book,” she said.

Classic romcoms like “10 Things I Hate About You” and “13 Going On 30” are also some of her inspirations, and she said there are some of those rom-com moments in the book, too. 

“Magnets” is the first book in a two-part series. 

“Originally, the book was 800 pages, and I thought that’s not really realistic,” Burks said. “So I split it up. ‘Magnets’ is the first part, then I have a second part that’s already written, I just have to edit now.”

Burks said she expects the second book to be released in spring 2027, though the second book has not been her biggest priority. 

“For right now, I just want to focus on marketing the first part. I feel like that’s been the hardest part of the journey,” she said. 

Burks designed the book cover and social media herself using the online graphic design website Canva. She has been utilizing her Instagram and TikTok accounts to promote the book, and it has received some attention. Her book was independently published through Amazon, meaning it was up to her to handle all the pre- and post-publication tasks. 

She started writing her book in October 2022 when she was 14 years old; now, she is 17, going on 18, years old. This past April, during her junior year, she finished writing the book, and she passed it on to her editor for revisions. 

William Hamby, her 5th grade teacher at Thomas Jefferson Elementary School, edited the book for her. Burks had a positive connection with him as his student, and they remained in touch. 

“He always was super encouraging of her,” Burks’ mother, Ivy, said. “She used to read books way above her level, and he…always encouraged her to keep reading.” 

“He’s always been supportive of me,” Burks said. She said Hamby told her he would love to read her work sometime, and she eventually asked him if he would want to edit it for her. 

Burks also received plenty of support and feedback from her parents, grandmother and siblings (she is the second oldest of five). 

“My mom (was) always there,” she said. “And my little siblings (would) always give their opinions on if they thought it was interesting or not.”

She even consulted her father quite often about crime details, since he is interested in true crime. 

During the first weekend of October, Burks held a book signing each day at her father’s barbershop, Royal Blue Hair Lounge, and Kingmate Beauty Boutique, located in the same strip mall. 

“My goal is to get my book out into the community and connect with other readers,” Burks said at the Washington Township council meeting on September 23, as she was invited to present at the start of the meeting and share her accomplishment with the town. 

“I’m excited to share my work with other people around me,” she said. 

While Burks’ time at WTHS is coming to an end, she is thinking about college. She said she wants to study audiology, a healthcare field focused on hearing. She plans on applying to Montclair State University, which is where her older sister goes. However, she does not plan on ditching writing. 

“I want to have writing as a side gig,” she said. “I still enjoy writing, but I find audiologists interesting, so I’m probably going to focus on that.”

“Magnets” is available in paperback now on Amazon. Burks can be found on Instagram @shielleburks and TikTok @authorshielleburks.