Olympia author Vanessa L. Torres won the 2026 Washington State Book Awards in the Young Adult Literature category for her book, “On the Wings of la Noche.” The Washington State Book Awards are presented by the Washington Center for the Book, an affiliate of the Library of Congress Center for the Book administered by Washington State Library, a division of the Office of the Secretary of State. We asked Torres some questions about being an author, what drew her to Olympia and her big win.
ThurstonTalk: How did you become a writer?
Torres: I started out writing screenplays. I took “Writing the 20-Minute Short Film” at The Evergreen State College. From there, my instructor suggested I take the full-time summer program, “Writing the Feature Film.” It was so much fun, and I learned a lot about how to set a scene and get the most out of every word. But it wasn’t until my time as a flight medic that I started thinking about writing a novel. I needed something to fill the gaps between missions. I was reading “Twilight” at the time and felt totally inspired. It was the first time I thought to myself, “I can do this too.”
ThurstonTalk: What was your first book and when was it published?
Torres: My debut novel, “The Turning Pointe,” came out in February of 2022. It is about a ballet dancer in 1983 Minneapolis who wants to dance for The Purple One himself, Prince. Incidentally, it was a finalist for the Washington State Book Award.
ThurstonTalk: Why did you choose the young adult genre?
Torres: I love writing for young adults. Being a teenager provided me with some of the best and worst moments of my life. The wild choices I made, the consequences and sometimes rewards – what a wealth of inspiration. It is a time in our lives when the world can seem perfect and devastating all at once. It is a time of growth, exploration, fear, and first loves. Therein is the challenge, to write from an authentic place and portray the struggles of coming-of-age in a way that will resonate with my target audience. For me, the reward comes when a reader reaches out to share how much my book meant to them. Maybe they connected with a particular character, or maybe the conflict made them feel seen. This is everything. This is why I write.
ThurstonTalk: What brought you to Olympia?
Torres: My husband and I are both retired firefighter/paramedics. I spent a major part of my career in Grays Harbor, and he served in Pierce County. Olympia was the perfect middle ground. We love it here. Pick a direction and you’re either in the mountains, at the beach, or in the “big city.”
ThurstonTalk: How long have you been here?
Torres: I have lived in Olympia since 1999. I was born and raised in Minneapolis. Minnesota will always be my home, but I am also very much so, an Oly Girl.
ThurstonTalk: What do you love about the Pacific Northwest?
Torres: The countless shades of green. This is something that can go unnoticed until you leave, come back, and remember why we are called the Evergreen State. The people are amazing too. I love the outdoorsy vibe, the coffee culture (very necessary for those writing deadlines), and the fact that I can wear fleece and jeans at least nine months out of the year.
ThurstonTalk: What is ‘On the Wings of La Noche’ about, in your words?
Torres: Noche is a story about love, loss, and grief. But at its heart, it is about a girl who is struggling to find where she fits in this world – as a Mexican American living in Northern Minnesota, and as the first Lechuza in her family, a mystical being who transforms into an owl to escort souls to the afterlife.
ThurstonTalk: You have won the Young Adult Lit award! How does that feel?
Torres: I am from a tight-knit Mexican American family. One whose matriarch was a gifted storyteller in her own right. My grandmother was filled with tales of spirits and ghosts – stolen souls and the legend of la Lechuza. I’d perch on a worn kitchen chair while she made tortillas and wait for her to begin. She’d tell me about scary witchy women who shifted into owls, her words fluctuating in and out of Spanish.
I was fascinated with the notion of a human shifting into an owl, and even more so, a mystical being with a connection to the dead. Of course, her version of the legend was much scarier than mine in “On the Wings of la Noche.” But the essence of the inspiration is there.
My grandmother only went to school through the third grade. She had minimal reading and writing skills. I’ve written a book inspired by her that she probably couldn’t have read herself, however, I imagine she would have loved my version of her Lechuza story. I guess this is my way of saying, it feels pretty amazing.
ThurstonTalk: What is your favorite thing about writing?
Torres: There are so many things I love about writing. Mostly, that I get to create another world from start to finish and then share that world. There is something special about hearing that my books resonated with readers.
For Noche specifically, I loved writing about her dark side – her need to be near the dead, her obsession with hanging out in the morgue, and her morbid collection of souvenirs from her deceased passengers. I guess this means I have a dark side too, probably a result of being witness to a lot of deaths during my years as a paramedic. It’s only recently that I realized, writing about Noche was beautifully therapeutic for me.
And I love writing action scenes. They are equally exhilarating and challenging. I get up from my chair, move around and mark out the choreography. It gets me moving and drops me into the middle of the scene, which is what I want for my readers too.
ThurstonTalk: What are you currently working on?
Torres: I have dozens of potential projects stored in my brain. But presently, I am working on three projects. A picture book, another young adult novel, this time a dystopian fantasy – and my first adult novel. I’ve been asked for years to write about a female firefighter, and I finally feel ready to take that on. Stay tuned!
ThurstonTalk: Any advice for aspiring authors?
Torres: Find your people. Writing is such a solitary endeavor. Fill your world with other creatives. They will be the ones who understand firsthand the challenges, rejections (because this is a reality in this business), and they will be there to celebrate your wins like no one else.
Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. I set a timer for 45 minutes and just write. I don’t care about spelling, grammar, or if the story makes sense. I just get words on the page. When I read it back to myself, I pluck out the gems within the slush.
Give yourself plenty of grace. Writing is hard. But it’s also supposed to be fun. Let yourself go and then see what comes of it. You might be surprised.
You can find Vanessa L. Torres’ books at Browser’s Books. Stay up to date on her latest news on the Goodreads website.
