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Genre: Fantasy
About OhMyNouLocation: North East England Home Region: Age:19 Website: http://gemmalouisemarsh.tumblr.com Favorite novels: Hitchhikers guide to the Galaxy Series (Douglas Adams) and Eoin Colfer's addition, And Another thing; Carpe Jugulum, Monstrous Regiment, Night Watch and Thud (Terry Pratchett),The Vampire Chronicles (Anne Rice), True Blood series (Charlaine Harris), The Argeneau Vampires series (Lynsay Sands), Angels & Demons and The Lost Symbol (Dan Brown), SERRAted Edge series (Mercedes Lackey)... is it sad most of them are about vampires in some way? Favorite writers: Terry Pratchett, Chris Moore, Eoin Colfer, Anne Rice, Lynsay Sands, Charlaine Harris, Dan Brown, Mercedes Lackey....Eoin Colfer, Garth Nix.... far too many. I could go on. Favorite music: too many tunes to count. Basically anything that has good, thought-provoking lyrics and a good beat, but not so good that I want to get up and dance... because I will, to avoid my brain melting! Also something that fits what I'm writing in some way - there's no point listening to love ballads whilst writing fight scenes (I prefer epic instrumental things for that). Non-noveling interests: photography, illustration, doll making, gaming, costume design, comic books, cars! |
Joined: June 27, 2008 This Year: Official Participant NaNoWriMo History: NaNoWriMo posts: 0 NaNoWriMo buddies: 1
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Brief Author Bio: I'm an 19 year old art major student from a scatty little seaside town called Hartlepool in the North East of England. I have always loved writing stories and have only recently seriously got down to writing the novels that have been in the pre-processing stages since,... oooh, before the millenium! Doesn't it sound so much longer when I say it like that? So, at least a decade - ok, so that sounds like ages too. The uncompleted works of Nou in question are The Chronicles of Avania... which I'm still on with and is still no closer to completion than it was last year (last year's failed Nano attempt is still alive somewhere, though I kind of wish it wasn't - I just don't have the heart to start over yet). I have a National Diploma in photography and I'm studying Costume Construction for my Bachelor of Arts degree. Fun! But all this artisticness and creativity tends to mean I have a predisposition for over-describing inconsequential things in scenes, and going a bit mad with what characters wear in particular. Some characters I can get away with it, others... not so much. My writing generally has something to say about the state of the world or things in it.. or just a commentary on the facts of reality as a whole - forgive me if I generalise, but sometimes the general consensus is just funny. Many of the characters are my take on real-world myths (such as my vampires and werewolves) and many of them have little in jokes regarding the existing characters that inspired them - which are generally buried so far under the new character that it's more or less impossible to tell... though I've been asked several times, did you get the idea for __ from ___? The answer is, no, but they probably figured somewhere into the creation. Actually, there's a lot of little in jokes that make me (and a certain other person who knows who she is) snigger... good luck finding them all... or even recognising most of them for in jokes. Strawberries! I'm currently obsessed with Witchblade Comics (though I'm currently lusting after the next issue of Cyberforce/Hunterkiller - do not forget that I am basically a geek, even if I don't look it at first glance), elves and Aston Martins. And Top Gear. And QI. And so many other things I probably should just get on and stop getting distracted. So, that's me. In a nutshell - slightly geeky, more than a bit mad, and car crazy. Makes for quite and interesting mix of inspiration, so who knows what could happen... |
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Synopsis: Red Crown
Once again, Nou's Nanowrimo delves into science-fantasy planet Avania, this time straying away from the infamous Agency and taking a trip to Caftro - a country almost, but not quite, like Egypt.
This time, join the Ser'e Rah, Kefni Khiara - heir to the house of the Red Crown - as his once-simple life becomes utterly complicated....
Prince Kefni is one of very few fully Caftran rakjasan remaining; with no outside blood in his veins, he is the perfect prince.... and coveted by the country's young Ladies. However, none of them really catch his interest; they are all vain, petty creatures who are clearly after the wealth and status his title would bring (though of course being attached to the handsome man himself wouldn't hurt). Some such women are Ser'a Vashti (a pretty nagi of the caftran court), Ser'a Jacintha (a baken [feline shapeshifter] courtier) and Ser'a Kaikara (a rakjasan, and a favourite of the people). None of them hold the prince's interest and devotion.
As time goes on, his mother the Pharaoh, Queen Nephthys, and her king, Shakir, begin to wonder if there son shall ever find a mate amongst the hoards of women simply dying to hurl themselves at his feet. That usually wouldn't be all too much of a problem - but rakjasan are a matriarchal society, and Nephthys knows that the country's rakjasan people would prefer to see the heir to the kingdom, a female.
Or, a male with a wife.
Enter Lady Chrisabella Redspring, a stunning courtier from Fae'tra. The foreigner captivates the court of Caftro one and all, and she has her sights set on having Kefni for herself.
But what happens when something - or someone - gets in the way?
Excerpt: Red Crown
Ser’e Rah, Kefni Khiara Keh-Deshret, was nearly eighteen, and he was not looking forward to it. For most people, their eighteenth birthday was the holy grail of birthdays, symbolising their passage from child to adult; new independence and freedom. But for Kefni, the event would not pass in a furious tumult of drunken excess in a pub.
Being the Prince of Caftro had been, up until now, a simple, generally pleasant life, but with his coming of age festival on the horizon, Kefni found himself wishing he could just be normal, just for one day. The fuss had been going on for several weeks as his mother, Pharaoh Nephthys, made her preparations and sent out invitations to her almost infinite guest list.
Now, as the date drew inexorably closer, Kefni wished more and more than there was something he could say or do which would stop his mother from going through with the entire fiasco. It was futile, however – once Pharaoh Nephthys was on a course, she didn’t stop until she had practically bulldozed her way through every obstacle and reached her goal. The damned woman was unstoppable; but then, she was rakjasan, and rakjasan women were notoriously… difficult. Nothing would sway this one from her path.
“Your mother,” King Shakir had said when Kefni bemoaned the fact of the coming spectacle that was ‘his’ ceremony to him, “Is like a wolf with a bone, and she can not be persuaded by anyone or anything to stop what she is doing. Heaven forbid she actually listen, son.”
Kefni sighed as he remembered that little scene. His father had smiled fondly and patted the Prince on the shoulder.
“Just grin and bare it, and it’ll all be over soon enough.”
“Maybe for you. I’m going to be the one in the middle of it all! I don’t even want this stupid ceremony…”
The King had simply laughed and ruffled his son’s hair. “It’s not for you, Kefni, it’s for the people,” he had said. “Remember that.”
Kefni wondered if the people really cared, or if they just wanted an excuse to party. Probably, he decided, the latter.
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