BELFAST – Teenage author Julia Clapp already has one novel on the shelves and hopes to have many more in the future.

Clapp, 17, of Belfast unveiled her debut novel, “The Lost World of Captain Mitton,” during a book signing Saturday at the Fertile Mind Bookshop. The young-adult fantasy is the first volume in what she envisions as a three-part series. Clapp already is working on the second part of the trilogy.

The novel follows the adventures of Andrew Warner, a 12-year-old London boy, who is given a magical book of maps by a mysterious old man he meets while on his way to visit his aunt. When young Andrew opens the book of maps he is drawn into a world called Mitton, which is filled with magical events and creatures. Andrew has no idea how he came to the world of Mitton, but is suddenly called on to save it from impending disaster.

“It’s about his [Warner’s] adventures in this strange world,” Clapp said. “It starts out with him trying to get home, but then he gets wrapped up in a quest and has all these adventures while finding his way home.”

Clapp completed her novel a year ago and has spent the past 10 months editing and polishing the final product. Along with creating the story and its world, Clapp also did the artwork for the book jacket. “The Lost World of Captain Mitton” is self-published by Starlight Press.

Clapp, who is home-schooled, is a high school senior and hopes to attend either the University of Maine or Bowdoin College next fall.

Clapp said she began writing stories at the age of 12 and completed a couple of 100-page manuscripts based on the legends of King Arthur before she transported herself into the fantasy world of Mitton. She said she received some encouraging support when she presented a chapter of her novel at last year’s Camden Literary Festival publishing workshop.

“That was great,” she said.

Fertile Mind owner Bruce Haines, a retired teacher, said he had received excellent feedback from others who have read Clapp’s book. He said the story holds up from beginning to end and has enough mysterious characters and situations to please readers of all ages.

“It’s got a lot of interesting characters, and she really manages to pull it all together at the end so it all makes sense.”

To purchase “The Lost World of Captain Mitton,” contact the Fertile Mind Bookshop, 105 Main St., Belfast 04915, call 338-2498, or visit fertilemindbooks.com.

wgriffin@bangordailynews.net

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