Plamen Oren, my pagan story, has been published.

[Christina Prince]

Hello all, this is my first post so allow me to say hello and ask for a moment of your time.

Plamen Oren, my novel, has finally been published after 4 years of development. It is steepted in pagan themes, customs, and sensibilities (as well as christian, but I'll explain that in a minute) The story takes place in anchient gaul, when people still revered the gods and magic was an every-day thing. The story starts out with the arrival of an eastern stranger, riding into the pine forest on a horse made of smoke. The story is about his own inward journey as well as his physical one. Upon arriving in the lower valley he meets Owen, a leader of a small western village. After ruining the stranger's supper, he insists the firey spirit come with him to stay in his village. There he learns of a looming conflict between two religous groups/ peoples: The Crosses and The Circles. (you can see where this is going) Neither the crosses nor the circles are villainized in this story, you can pick which side you prefer wink

Anyway, the novel is only available online (for now) and whose who purchase it in 1007 will receive a special thank you gift as a token of my sincerest thanks.

Without further delay, here is the link: http://www.lulu.com/ChristinaPrince

The first chapter is up for free, please tell me what you think!  

[Nihilistic Seraph]

Ah, good old self-publishing sites...  

[Nihilistic Seraph]

You go to LaSalle university? As in LaSalle, Montreal?  

[Christina Prince]

Love your screen name, I'm very fond of Seraphim.

And LaSalle Philladelphia, you're not the first person to ask about the Canadian one though smile

I finally finished the bonus gift art, take a peek if you feel so inclined:
http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/49800601/  

[Nihilistic Seraph]

Thanks biggrin


Yeah, I live in Montreal, so it would have been pretty cool if we lived in the same city.  

[Starlock]

nice to see some more Pagan stories out there, even if it's not as much of a mainstream publisher. Still awesome!  

[Christina Prince]

Thanks guys! smile The philosphy of publishing is slowly changing especially with the rise of easy self publishing sites like Lulu. A writer isn't supposed to be judged based on if they've been published or not but we often go "ohh publishedm therefore it must be good!" not true.  

[Starlock]

Christina Prince

Thanks guys! smile The philosphy of publishing is slowly changing especially with the rise of easy self publishing sites like Lulu. A writer isn't supposed to be judged based on if they've been published or not but we often go "ohh publishedm therefore it must be good!" not true.

Dear, no. Lots of published stuff isn't good if you're measuring it by the standards of 'literature' instead of 'genre fiction.' It depends on what you're looking for though. Genre fiction is generally nice for a simple read. Sure, it may not be innovatively or masterfully writtten, but it's read more for entertainment. Most of us don't want to read literary masterpieces everyday; they're harder to read, though arguably more rewarding.  

[Goddess Hekate]

Oh cool.

The site is undermaintainance so I can't see it at the moment, but, from your description it sounds very lovely.

I'm currently... expanding my worlds with some friends, the story we'd started out with lacked depth, the new one is much deeper and versatile with no actual "sides." So when I saw yours is without the whole Good vs. Evil thing it pleased me. blaugh Anyways less about me, I'll take alook when it's been maintained.  

[Christina Prince]

Thanks Hekkate! smile Yeah I picked up a book while I was in Britton called "Lords of the North" by Bernard Cornwell...I have to say it really didn't live up to my standards at all. Sure it's well reaserched which I can really respect but he spends 100 pages telling us facts about the region and how much he hates Christians before getting to any in depth character development....I HATE THAT. I hate books that present archetypes rather than actual people, you know?  

[Goddess Hekate]

Christina Prince

Thanks Hekkate! smile Yeah I picked up a book while I was in Britton called "Lords of the North" by Bernard Cornwell...I have to say it really didn't live up to my standards at all. Sure it's well reaserched which I can really respect but he spends 100 pages telling us facts about the region and how much he hates Christians before getting to any in depth character development....I HATE THAT. I hate books that present archetypes rather than actual people, you know?

I am partial to books that starts with something non passive.
I want to be introduced to things yes, but, I do not feel the need to be told everything in one sitting and then be exposed to morals which you are required to agree with.
I despise archtypes, I want 4D characters not 2D cardboards with the sole purpose of being plot movers.

My friends and I are currently without a story line, we have some of the important chracters that are going to be in the story. But my main focus is the pasts of the worlds which are the central core of the story. So at the moment I've just created new species of Humanoid like creatures, they have a history and past, no name ('cause I'm not to great in that area) I've a vast Empire controlled by the one who the main characters indirectly choose to go against. I've a world with a sort of supreeme UN like governing system.
I even thought about their main source of energy. (Geothermal)
Oh and we can't forget there is magic, nature spirits and nymphs (who are really are just nature spirits with bodies)  

[Nihilistic Seraph]

Ah, but what if the author wants them to be archetypal? Just look at Spenser's The Fairie Queene.  

[Christina Prince]

What the author wants is irrelavent to me. Archetypes ruin stories for me. that being said if people see my book other than how I want, all the more power to them. I'm a formalist critic in the sence that once a book is birthed it no longer belongs to the author in an artistic sence, it belongs to the reader and ther own interpretations.  

[Nihilistic Seraph]

Christina Prince

What the author wants is irrelavent to me. Archetypes ruin stories for me. that being said if people see my book other than how I want, all the more power to them. I'm a formalist critic in the sence that once a book is birthed it no longer belongs to the author in an artistic sence, it belongs to the reader and ther own interpretations.

Actually, I mean more to sense that the plot and story as a whole is crafted to have archetypes. Look at Neil Gaiman's Sandman story - the Endless are all archetypal figures, and yet it still makes for an awesome story.  

[Christina Prince]

Yes but at the same time those figures are givin personalities. That's a bit different from the usual nonsence I see (plus I want to have Neil's babies so >.>) I'm talking about the usual, "in the box" manner of story telling. It drives me nuts to have the same characters in every story. No one stands out.