Chat briefly with 15-year-old Kieryn Nicolas and you'll find a typical teen on the surface.

She loves spending time with her close friends.

She really does like school.

At home, she has a younger sister, and a dog and cat as pets. She also can't get enough of traveling … and chocolate could pretty much be one of the major food groups, in her tastes.

But one thing that sets her apart from most youngsters her age is that she's a published author.

The State College-area 10th grader was in Doylestown Friday signing copies of her debut book, RAIN, a young adult spy novel.

Published by Echelon Press LLC, the book first was released earlier this year as an e-book. A soft cover, print version followed in August.

While the 100,000-word novel is geared toward middle school readers and older, Kieryn said she doesn't like to classify it as such.

"I've gotten e-mails from adults who've said, 'I know you've written it for younger people, but I read it and I really enjoyed it, too,' " she said, taking a break between signings.

The suspense thriller has its share of break-ins, abductions and baffling mysteries to solve, but also addresses other adolescent struggles, such as friendships and surviving new schools.

Kieryn has been writing stories "for a really long time," she said – at least since she was five.

But it was a 5th grade creative writing teacher who nourished Kieryn's interest in telling stories.

"He was an amazing teacher," she said.

The interest really took hold when she began writing her novel during the summer of 8th grade.

"My husband and I spent the better part of that summer trying to get her off the computer," said her Mom, Mara, chuckling as she remembered the experience. "Then I read what she was writing and I thought, 'This is really good!'"

To help foster her daughter's talent, Mara found a writer's conference in Allentown for Kieryn to attend. She was able to pitch her story to Echelon, which then agreed to publish it.

"I had a cold at the time and I opened up the e-mail (with the contract offer) and said, 'Oh, my God!' and, yeah, it made me feel better," she recalled.

One of the book's characters, jealous student Caidy, Kieryn said she based on one of her own friends, Katie, who she didn't really like at the time. "But then I got to know her and she's one of my best friends now. She's really awesome." In fact, Katie's silhouette now graces the book's cover.

Doylestown Bookshop, which hosted the book signing, carries RAIN, which can also be purchased through Kieryn's website, www.kierynnicolas.com. With purchases from either place, $1 will be donated to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Amazon and Barnes & Noble also carry the book.

Kieryn's involvement in the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society began after her grandfather was diagnosed with lymphoma. He is now in remission.

A competitive figure skater when younger and now a student of taekwondo, Kieryn also is training to run a half-marathon fundraiser at Walt Disney World in January – two weeks shy of her 16th birthday. Instead of having a party, she's asking that donations be made to the society.

Shilough Hopwood, manager of Doylestown Bookshop, said the book signings enable the store to realize its philosophy of promoting local and regional authors. And Kieryn's definitely one of the younger writers.

"We're very committed to helping them."