Communication Studies major publishes first book

When a college first-year student escapes her controlling ex-boyfriend only to find he’s just begun his dangerous game of obsession, she must find the strength to fight for her freedom before his deadly moves destroy everything she’s rebuilt.

This is the scenario for Sophia Pineda’s new book, The Manipulators Game. Pineda is a rising senior majoring in Communication Studies at Campbell University.

Pineda started on the book a little over a year ago, churning out more than 300 pages in between classes and other commitments.

“The writing didn’t take that long, but the editing did,” Pineda said. “I mostly did it during my free time. I would sit in my dorm after classes and write, write, write.”

She describes the work as a mix between a romance and a psychological thriller geared toward young adults.

Pineda began the work after encouragement from her boyfriend but is quick to say that the material is pure fiction.

“It is all made up,” Pineda said. “I just woke up one day with an idea. Once you actually start writing, you put everything out there, and it all just comes out. When you’re writing, the story builds itself.”

Department of Communication Studies Chair Dr. Dean Farmer added: “We celebrate Sophia’s work here. She’s already adapted a scene from the book as a project in her television production course. We expect great things in Sophia’s future.”

The book is self-published. Pineda created both the story and the cover art. It’s available at Amazon.com

“It’s just a way to express myself,” Pineda said. “I build my own path, one story at a time.”