Local author pens bestseller

A Tiffin resident has written her first novel; the reviews are remarkable. Victoria Lowery's "Polly Parker Meets her Shadow" hit the shelves in February and quickly rose to best-seller status. Lowery said the novel is in the magical realism genre and went to #1 in its category on Amazon the day it was released. Lowery said while she couldn't anticipate the book's success, "I do really believe in this book." According to a press release, "Polly Parker Meets Her Shadow" "is a ground-breaking story about the power of emotion, finding purpose in life, and the secrets to self-actualization." Understanding our reality "has a way of manifesting our life," she said. Lowery said she felt a calling to write the book when she was 14 years old. "It was a knowing," she said. "A nudge." However, while Lowery's career path in the business world involved a lot of writing, she took a winding road to begin her work as an author. In 2006, she moved to Tiffin, where she served as CEO of the Tiffin Chamber of Commerce and later took a position with the Ohio Chamber of Commerce. In 2010, she said, Lowery left her business career to focus on fulfilling the writing path to which she felt called. "I took a deep breath and jumped," she said. She said her initial works were self-published and included a chapter in a Jack Canfield novel. Lowery said she sees her early publications as "training for her book," which early on took the form of notes and ideas she would write down when inspiration struck. She would wake up with ideas, or think of them while driving, she said, and know they were important pieces of the puzzle that would become "Polly Parker Meets Her Shadow." Lowery said she began the official writing of the novel in 2020. The novel, she said, spins a tale around Polly Parker's development of six master skills. Lowery said one of those master skills is gratitude, which she believes to be "not just a thing, but a power." The importance of living a life deeply rooted in gratitude is woven into the plot, as Polly Parker "discovers hidden knowledge" and learns to listen to her inner voice. Lowery said Polly's age, 14, matches her own age when she first felt called to write, and she believes she was meant to address the audience of young adults. She hopes to instill in readers the importance of talking about their emotions and recognizing their "shadow self." Lowery said that shadow is comprised of lost knowledge, wounded feelings, painful memories, and thoughts that need to be addressed. "I hope the book plants seeds of awareness," she said. Lowery said she hopes that schools continue to recognize the importance of emotions, as they do in "Polly Parker Meets Her Shadow." The novel presents a new educational system that focuses on empathy, understanding, and internal guidance. "We are not going to learn our purpose in life unless we listen to ourselves," Lowery said. Lowery said she believes every person she has encountered in life has shaped her writing, and she has realized the priceless power of mentors. In particular, she said, former Tiffin University President Paul Marion was influential in her life. While "Polly Parker Meets Her Shadow" originally was submitted as a stand-alone novel, Lowery said, her publisher envisioned a series of books. Currently, she said, a sequel is in the works, which also is based on the character of Polly Parker. Lowery said details are being decided for a book signing at Pan Yan Bookstore in Tiffin, and that a number of shows are booked to bring attention to "Polly Parker Meets Her Shadow" and it's focus on self-actualization.