Current English Major Now Published Author
Many English majors entertain hopes of becoming a published author, but when Louisa Parrish 鈥�23 of Denton, N.C. graduates from 黑料专区 next spring, she will be able to say that her dream has become a reality. As she started her senior year, she completed the first installment in a planned series of fantasy novels.
(IngramSpark), Parrish鈥檚 first book, went on sale in August 2022 under the pen name of Lucia Jex-Blake, just as the current semester at Pfeiffer was beginning. It emerged after Parrish learned that she qualified for a grant from that could finance the book鈥檚 production. Make-A-Wish funding enabled her to pay for an editor and the graphic designer who created the book鈥檚 cover. Parrish has been diagnosed with cystic fibrosis; Make-A-Wish grants wishes for children with 鈥渃ritical conditions鈥� such as hers, not necessarily terminal ones.
Parrish, who is also the Editor-in-Chief of The Phoenix, Pfeiffer鈥檚 literary journal, aspires to live off the money she makes from writing novels.
鈥淭丑别 Artifacts project was a nice way to jumpstart my career,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 could get my first book behind me and start marketing my work while I鈥檓 finishing up my senior year at Pfeiffer.鈥� That marketing has included a late-summer book signing at the Barnes & Noble store in The Arboretum Shopping Center of Charlotte, N.C.
Artifacts transports us to a world of faeries and wizards in which Geena Bellows, after eluding capture by wizards who鈥檝e had her on the run for much of her life, gains asylum in the faerie land of Apatite. Geena learns that Apatite鈥檚 inhabitants knew her late mother. Along with unraveling her mother鈥檚 Apatite connection, Geena comes to hope that the many mysteries in her life will be revealed.
Artifacts exemplifies a genre called fantasy dystopia, which 鈥渋s like the way you would think of an infection,鈥� Parrish said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 this one thing that needs to be taken care of, or else it鈥檚 going to be a problem.鈥�
Parrish said she鈥檚 been reading fantasy dystopias 鈥渇orever.鈥�
鈥淚t鈥檚 what I know, it鈥檚 what I鈥檓 familiar with,鈥� she said. 鈥淪o, I figured that at least for my first series, I would go with what I know.鈥�
Dr. Ashley Schoppe, an Assistant Professor of English at Pfeiffer, expressed support for this strategy, saying that Artifacts 鈥渋mmediately immerses the reader, a feat which is even more remarkable considering this is Parrish鈥檚 first novel.鈥� 鈥淎patite, the world of the faeries, is realistically drawn, and it is a delight to explore,鈥� she added. 鈥淭丑别 conflict between the faeries and the wizards that forms the central plot of the novel is a fast-paced nail-biter, and the ending leaves you wanting more. I鈥檓 looking forward to reading the sequel.鈥�