Senior, Chris Genszler Becomes Published Author

by Britnee Fear

Senior Chris Genszler, a secondary education, theater and theology major, has successfully written a fantasy fiction novel that is undergoing publication. During his limited free time while student teaching, Genszler put some ideas to paper and started writing his novel “Believing: Year Three.”

“My inspiration initially came from a character I created on the role-playing game Dungeons and Dragons and then I based the main character, Rolen Liadon, slightly off of the character Legolas from Lord of the Rings, because J. R. R. Tolkien was another inspiration for the book,” Genszler said.

The book centers on Genszler’s main elf character, Rolen Liadon, who escaped from the army because they asked him to do something he did not morally agree with. The story follows Liadon on the run for five years until the case runs cold and he is able to resume a normal life. The book takes place during the third year of Liadon’s journey, giving the book its title,  “Believing: Year Three.”

“I wanted to drop the reader in the middle of the situation, and I have plans on making four more books over the course of many years,” Genszler said. My next book will contain the origin story of him leaving the army.”

Genszler created a goddess of nature named Eldath who his elf character follows around. He aimed to tie her character in with what God does for us, and in the book, Liadon’s faith grows deeper and stronger .

“It’s the idea that on the surface it is Rolen worshiping a goddess, but I’m actually subtlety sharing the message of Christianity,” Genszler said.

Genszler began writing the book during the second week of his second student teaching placement. He wrote about a chapter a day until student teaching got busier, and then he was only able to accomplish small parts of it daily. Genszler’s best friend from childhood told him he should look into publishing the novel, so Genszler found a publishing company that would do it for free.

“I had been thinking about it for quite awhile, but just never got it on paper,” Genszler said.

Genzler finished the novel on New Year’s Eve, two and half months after he began writing it, and submitted it to be published on New Year’s Day. He had not heard anything back after a few weeks and decided to email them, and the company responded, saying they planned to move forward with publication.

Genszler’s novel is currently in the process of being published and will be available on Kindle and Nook at the beginning of April. After 100 e-books are sold, the publishing company will put  out  a paper copy, and the book will be sold all over the country.

“If (the book) sounds like something you’re interested in, feel free to pick it up.” Genszler said. “It is a fun story that I made up.”