Of Heroes and Blood: Luring Readers Into The Fantasy Realm
"It's a hard thing to write a coming-of-age story, even more so while in the fantasy genre. It has to be serious; well thought out enough to have meaning, but still having some element of the fantastical.
I believe this story accomplishes both of these criteria. This, at least ot my opinion, is a coming of age story, and one well written enough to have serious impact. What strikes me most however, is the inherent symbolism that accompanies the tale of a young man searching for his soul. All the extremities of growing up are captured in Crispin's nightmare: violence, sexuality, friendship... the list goes on and one. Not only are they included, but they are woven seamlessly into a backdrop of a pure fantasy.
"This is fantasy in its highest form, of that there is no question."
~by BRSullivan from Webook; on Schulze's "Elantra: the Lie of Adelar"
"Oh wow... I just finished reading it—and it was great! I loved every moment of it. As I was getting toward the end, I was hoping that it was not a work in progress to where I had to wait for the next development, but at the same time I was not wanting it to end. You did a great job with this story—I'll have to bookmark it as one of my favorites!! Later on when I have more time I'll sit down and write a more detailed review of what I thought of it, but for now I just wanted to leave a comment and say that it was really great. Loved it."
~by NatMikey from Webook; on Schulze's "Lily in the Snow"
These quotes reflect the intrigue stimulated by some of the latest writings published by fantasy author, Christine E. Schulze, on webook, an online writing community. Among these writings is a story called Bloodmaiden which has also received a lot of positive feedback:
"Just finished reading the whole bit. While fantasy isn't my biggest cup of tea, you certainly write consistently and in an engrossing enough fashion to pull me in."
~by firsthara from Webook; on Schulze's "Bloodmaiden"
"WOW! This was awesomely gripping and tense. I felt the exact emotions the character was, I could feel the tense atmosphere and the relief she did as she got behind that building...I love the connection between her and her aunt!"
~by salvaincullen from Webook; on Schulze's "Bloodmaiden"
"Amazing! Best of luck to getting it published though I'm sure it will! Your work is very powerful, great job! I wish I could read more though..."
~by Russet_Sunrise from Webook; on Schulze's "Bloodmaiden"
"This is awesome. It is on the Lord of the Rings level. Very descriptive and deep thought. It is a book I would have to completely focus on. It has trilogy written all over it. Keep up the good work. Love it."
~by gryody from Webook; on Schulze's "Bloodmaiden"
This is only a handful of 61 quotes left by readers who have stumbled across the story since Schulze posted it on November of this year (2009). The story is actually a shortened excerpt from a novel Schulze hopes to publish. The novel shares the name "Bloodmaiden" and, no, it is not about vampires. Here's a short excerpt and blurb from "Bloodmaiden":
“I live in Tynan, the fourth dynasty, whose dragons do provide much protection, and there is much need of it, for our dynasty is set in the northern mountains, where wild animals and avalanches and other such dangers are ever constant. But the tribute they require in return is so horrible, no one speaks of it. I cannot even utter it here, now, on paper. In fact, I will soon have to lay down my pen because my fingers tremble, scrawling the words in nervous, illegible scribbles across the pages of the last days of my life. I will have to lay down the pen because the unspoken truth is all the more real and close and unbearably frightening for me.
“For, you see, I am the new Quelda of Tynan.”
The four dynasties of Sulaiman are to be governed so dragons and humans live in peace. The dragons protect the humans, and in return, the humans offer a yearly tribute. But Tynan has returned to the bloodlust traditions of old, requiring the sacrifice of the young, sacred, pure Quelda, her husband, and their child.
Crisilin finds herself not only dubbed the next Quelda, but best friend, Chalom, as her husband. She can’t fathom the thought of him—or their unborn child—dying on her account. Together they escape Tynan to find the four Arias which can melt the sadness of their hearts and restore peace. But theirs are not the only hearts ridden with torment and sadness. Along the way they will meet Pan, a sprightly fairy whose love for daring stretches deeper than her mischievous nature; Brydon, a traveling minstrel whose songs warm everyone’s hearts; and several others who will become entwined in their quest.
Schulze is encouraged by all those who have left reviews on her story, including those like firsthara, quoted above, who normally don't read the fantasy genre yet still gleaned some enjoyment from the story. She is also grateful for all the constructive criticism offered as every story is always a work in progress no matter how "finished" a writer thinks it is. The advice offered by Webookers has really helped her polish Bloodmaiden, the book version, and kick it up a notch. Webook also features a new feature where authors can submit their materials to agents. Schulze encourages all writers, both those serious about publishing and those who just write for enjoyment, to consider joining Webook and sharing their work.
The story version of "Bloodmaiden" is actually scheduled to be published by Kalkion, along with original artwork crafted by the author herself and boyfriend/photographer, Jonathan.
In the meantime, Schulze is searching for an agent for the book and has created a promotional site for Bloodmaiden including a blog, forums, artwork, and promotional videos with music also composed by Schulze. You can check out her site here:
Bloodmaiden's Fantasy Emporium
http://bloodmaiden.webs.com
Schulze has also created promotional merchandise for Bloodmaiden available on Zazzle.com.
In between all the work on Bloodmaiden, and sharing stories as a top writer and reviewer on Webook, Schulze continues to promote her newly released Christian/fantasy series for young adults, The Hero Chronicles:
"I've read the desciption of the elves and I could see them! I love the description of them!"
"I love your book so far! I couldn't tear myself away! My favourite characters are Aaron, Josh and Caleb! Aaron's awesome! Josh is funny (He reminds me of a friend of mine, Josh) and Caleb keeps on falling asleep! Are you sure he's not narcoleptic?? :P lol."
~quotes from Amy, 15
Her latest venture for the series includes releasing them as ebooks on a site called Smashwords. They are currently available in a large range of formats: HTML, Javascript, Kindle, Epub, PDF, RTF, LRF, Palm Doc, and Plain Text.
Considering this range of options, the ebooks are easily accessible by all readers, those with the simplest of programs to those with a more advanced ebook-reading device. The great thing about Smashwords is authors can control how much the books sell for and can allow readers to read a large portion of the book for free. Schulze's books are currently available so readers can download and read the first half for free then, if they like what they see, purchase the whole ebook for just $1.99. This may seem like Schulze is selling herself short, but she would rather make her books very affordable to all readers than gain a large profit from a smaller number of followers.
Finally, Schulze is working on Golden Healer, Dark Enchantress, an ebook contracted for publication by Writers-Exchange E-publishing. It's a story about the first vampire, and as a Christian/fantasy book, gives vampires a new twist. Schulze likes to make sure all her books are kept unique, so this book should give readers something familiar yet fresh compared to the Twilight saga, the House of Night series, and all the other vampire books out there:
He leaned his head close to my ear and whispered, "Are you afraid?"
Chrystine had more reason then than any other time of her life, even when facing one of the rampages of her drunken father. But she wasn't afraid. And that was odd, because although Aaryn, the person asking her that question, was her best friend, he was also a vampire. In fact, she was surrounded by hundreds of vampires.
But they weren’t your typical vampires. They were Stregoni Benefici, the good kind. Nor was Chrystine your typical fairy. She was the Golden Healer, and she alone could save the Stregoni Benefici from the Dark Enchantress. But can Chrystine figure out the Dark Enchantress’ secret and defeat the evil vampires without destroying the good ones as well, without destroying Aaryn? And can she discover Aaryn’s own secret conflict and help him overcome it?
Thank you for taking the time to read a bit of shameless self-promotion. I hope that, amidst your own busy schedules, you will take the time to step into Schulze's worlds of magical fantasy, mystery, and romance.
Finally, here's a list of links to her sites. Please enjoy.
1. Golden Healer Artwork
Christine E. Schulze's original blog. Includes updates, artwork, and links to music, videos, stories, and more.
2. Golden Healer Fantasy Forums
Discuss all things Fantasy and Christian/Fantasy
3. Bloodmaiden's Fantasy Emporium
In honor of Schulze's "Bloodmaiden". Includes blog, forums, original art and videos
4. Schulze's Stories on Webook
Read her most recently posted stories, including "Bloodmaiden", on Webook. If you're a Webook member and you leave a review, she'll be sure to return the favor.
5. Hero Chronicles on Smashwords
Read the first half of each ebook free. Download the whole series for just $1.99 per book.
6. Readers' Eden
Home of all ebooks published by the Writers-Exchange. They host a wide variety of ebooks in all sorts of genres. This will soon be the home of Golden Healer, Dark Enchantress, once it is published.
7. Hero, Bloodmaiden, and Golden Healer merchandise
Check out calendars, tee-shirts, hoodies, mugs, and more on Zazzle.
8. Schulze's Youtube
Includes videos from her brilliant SWIC choir, promotional book videos, music videos, and more
9. Follow Schulze on Twitter!
-- Christine E. Schulze
