Greetings.

I'm Ardyth Irene DeBruyn. I am named after the Princess Irene in "The Princess and the Goblin" and George McDonald is my authorial hero. If I can someday write as good as him, I could die happy. My first novel I attempted this, failed spectacularly to make something at all marketable (it started out as a "middle grade" novel and ended up over 100k, starring a 8 yr old wizard prince), but that did remind several critiquers of George McDonald at least. Sigh. I may drag it out now that I'm exploring faith in writing again. What I'm hoping is that now that I know how to write, I can figure out finally how to make that deeper meaning thing actually work.

However, my other goal is to win a Newberry in children's literature. I've been pursuing mainstream publication (with some close calls in agents which sadly have only ended in rejections) for the last three years. I'm published in a mainstream e-book market. My novel is "Chosen Sister."

The novel is not explicitly Christian, but does have a strong sense of morality, and I believe it's appropriate for Christian readers as long as magic does not equal satanic powers (I know some people are really strict on the no magic thing, which is fine if that's your belief, but personally I think it depends on the magic system in question when talking about fictional worlds). Magic is more a metaphor for creativity/imagination in this novel.

At the risk of sounding trollish (which isn't a bad thing when you like actual trolls...) I do note the "promotions" bit and so guilt-free also duly post the Novel Blurb:

When the Gold Wizard comes looking for the Child Warrior in Reina's village, it's no surprise he's only looking at the boys. However, when the wizard magically selects her younger brother as the warrior prophesied to defeat the Red Wizard, Reina has mixed feelings—jealousy and concern. Austyn is only six.

Allowed to accompany her brother, Reina soon finds they're in deeper trouble than she thought. The Gold Wizard's fake beard is ripped off by attacking harpies, revealing he's only seventeen, not to mention his magical demonstrations tend to go awry. Unfortunately, with the Red Wizard's harpies and snakewolves on their trail, finding a new (and better) wizard mentor is hardly an option. If anyone's going to find a way to track down the elusive Sword of Chivalry for Austyn and get him into the Red Wizard's castle to fulfill whatever the obscure prophecy insists must be done, it's got to be Reina.


Anyhoo... I'm looking forward to meeting everyone and working more on faith in my writing.

Ardyth!!!

You are the first referral I've got on this forum, (that I'm aware of,) so I have to be unreasonably happy about it, right?

As you may or may not have observed, I am Janin of Yen. Or was Janin of Yen... and I am a little yellow named person which means I'm one of the people who help run this site which is another reason I can be unreasonably happy.

Thanks so much for all your encouragement during Nano, and may all my HW friends welcome you with much warmth and unreasonable happiness for my sake.

Welcome!

Your novel sounds interesting (but then again, I devour any literature I come across ). I like the excerpt.


Once again, welcome to HW! *throws some confetti* (not too much or I'll be made to clean it up...)

Welcome to Holy Worlds!

Welcome to Holy Worlds, Ardyth!

Welcome to HW! Glad you decided to join us in this loony bin.

Welcome Nice to meet ya. Your novel sounds great! Keep writing

Welcome to Holy Worlds!

Ooooh... Your story sounds really interesting!

Welcome to HW!

Interesting story

Welcome Ardyth! How long have you been writing? It sounds like a while.

Welcome!

Your story sounds like a lot of fun!

Welcome to HW Ardyth! You book sounds very interesting. Thank you for sharing. I hope you get much out of HW, and that you come to love the people here as much as I have. Which is a lot!

Thank you everyone! I'm quite pleased to be here, it's a really nice looking site and fullfills an aspect of my writing I've not found a lot of crit partners for so far.

I have been writing about ten years, but only seriously for the last five or six. When I first started I couldn't find any online crit groups at first, let alone a Christian group. I ended up finding a couple of mainstream email groups and eventually ended up at a forum at Critique Circle about six years ago (had them referred to me my first year at Nanowrimo), and slowly learned how to write. It's only been the past three years I've done any marketing, since I wasn't good enough before that.

I really enjoy writing, I've written twelve completed novels which are various states of editing disrepair. But sigh, it's so much fun to write a new novel, that I keep writing more even when I'm supposed to be editing.

Yep. I sooo understand that! Editing is a pain, but it is what makes the book.

Wow, I'm on 10 completed novels, and none of them are finished being edited. It's pitiful. I can't quit writing long enough to revise anything...

Welcome to HW!!! I only have 1 completed novel...

Welcome, beloved friend of Jaynin! Stay awhile... we're glad to have you!

It's kinda fun to be beloved already... I'm still sort of fumbling my way around. I ought to be writing, but I feel down about having to testify this week in a murder trial (was not on my lists of things to do in life). So, prayers would be awesome about that. (No, I don't know if this guy is the guy who did it, because I don't actually know anything, I just lived in the apartment next door and I have no idea why they want me to testify, sigh. I was away from home when it happened.)

Arwen, one completed and completely awesome novel is worth at least six or seven messy, incoherent, slightly boring, and difficult to edit complete novels. I have no idea how I got "Chosen Sister" from nano-draft to publication so quickly... perhaps because I wasn't worried about the deeper meaning? I have to admit it was just for fun. Also, a "complete" chapter book can be quite short, just 10-20K and I have two of those...

Make me inclined to make a list, I like lists...

The Completed Novels of Ardyth in the various states of disrepair:

Chosen Sister (published fantasy middle grade)
A School for Villains (on submission, fantasy middle grade)
Paladin Honor (third edit historical, YA)
Of Two Worlds (got a couple rejections and then I put it aside because my feelings were hurt, fantasy middle grade)
Dragon Snot (chapter book that needs a re-working)
Captain Pit Bull and the Calico Avengers (chapter book I don't know how to market because it's anthro-fiction which is a hard sell)
SewerHaven (anthro-fiction middle grade book I'm not sure how to sell)
Miranda Makes her First Million (humor, mainstream, rough draft)
Dragon Boy (need a strong edit because I've set it aside so long but would like to revise, middle grade fantasy)
Dragon Wraith (the even more set aside sequel in rough draft)
The Snow Lion of Rset (brand new draft from nanowrimo this year which was supposed to be middle grade but ended up more YA)
Wizard's Duel (adult? children's lit? who knows... my first novel and very very set aside for now, but is on it's 6th incarnation)
Transfigured: A Pilgrim's Journey to Santiago (autobiography non-fiction about my real life spiritual pilgrimage, I was crazy, but God blessed me incredibly and family asked me to write about it)

*double checks to make sure it's it* Yup, there's all of them... looking so... list-like.

Now, I will talk myself into posting some writing over in the correct forum... trying to work up to it. Best way to get to know a writer is through the writing in my mind.

Testifying at a murder trial? Wow. Ugh. Well, it's a good experience for a writer to have but... yikes.

I'm inclined to list mine, but this isn't my welcome thread, and you guys already know about mine... mostly...

You write a lot for middle grades then? Coolness. I've considered it, but never quite done anything about it. Most of mine is YA... I think. "Wizard Duel" is captivating just by the title. Of all your books that one jumped out at me, for some reason. *is now curious as to what it's about*

And yes, it's easy to get beloved really fast around here. We're a loving bunch...

Welcome! I am new here also but it is great to have a forum that is both Christian and fantasy.

You book premise sounds great! Looking forward to reading a few excerps. This time edit the thing! I am editing my novel and it is not nearly as exciting as writing the draft.

Chaplain

Well, good thing I always practice author blurbs... maybe I should look for a thread on them so we can all practice them. Here's the blurb/back of book copy/query, whatever you wanna call it.

The wizard king has died without naming an heir, leaving the monarchy open for a battle of wills. Once in line to be the disowned prince's advisor, Lord Cepthar sees himself as the natural choice. However, Regent Drackun to whom the reigns of power fall in the interim has never liked him. The regent has produced a young boy, Zincu, the son of the disowned prince by a commoner as the next heir to the throne.

Majester Fancu, the castle jester, despite being equally out of the regent's favor, is locked in a secret rivalry with Lord Cepthar and will do anything the prevent him from becoming heir, even siding with a half-blood. Besides, he's good with children, and stands a good chance at getting a powerful position if he can win the boy's trust.

Amidst all this political intrigue, eight-year-old Zincu knows only one thing for sure, a creature of immeasurable evil is searching for his soul. He also feels it is his responsibility to stabilize a nation on the brink of disaster, to be an advocate for the common people normally overlooked by the wizard nobility, only no one is interested in the opinions of a child. The cost of standing up for them might be more than is humanly right to ask of anyone, but the others, locked in their personal desires, have lost sight of the larger battle of good and evil.

Also, um, point me to a thread I can see your listed works? I want to know!

I like, Ardyth. Like, like, like.

Um... there isn't one. But there should be. *looks around for a moderator* Where would a thread called "List your written novels" or something similar go?

And thread about book blurbs would go in Village Lore. That would be a useful skill to practice.

I'm late, I'm late, I'm very, very late!

Welcome to Holy Worlds, Ardyth! I'm glad you were able to find this forum!

*groans* Pick up that confetti, please. =D *hands over a broom*

Welcome to HW, Ardyth!



*pops up* Maybe in the Watchtower?

eruheran

Watchtower huh? If someone hasn't started it by now, looks like it's my duty to go do so!

*resolves to always use flaming confetti (and thus self-burning)*

Welcome to HW!!!!