Public Relations

Student author yearns to learn

        BENTONVILLE (Thursday, Sept. 20, 2007) - NorthWest Arkansas Community College freshman Christian Fischer wasn’t surprised at the first grade he received on a paper he turned in this fall to his English Comp I instructor, Jeff Jackson.

        “Got an A,” he proudly says, smiling.

        Fischer, 25, is the author of “The Legend of Captain Troy,” the fictional account of adventurer Johnny Troy.

        The book is a prelude to a larger chronicle due out next fall, the student says.

        “There’s more to come,” he tells a couple of students Wednesday, Sept. 19, while signing copies of his first book at the NWACC Barnes & Noble Bookstore.

        The soft cover book was published this fall by Publish America, www.publishamerica.com. Copies are on sale at the NWACC B&N Bookstore.

        Fischer began his academic career at NWACC this fall. He carries 13 hours.

        “I love it, I love to learn,” he says of NWACC and his English Comp I class, which he takes at the Washington County Center.

        He and his wife Jacquelin live in Springdale with their two daughters, Cloey and Jazmin. The daughters are ages 5 and 4.

        Jacquelin is a full time student at NWACC. She takes classes at the Bentonville campus.

        Christian was born and raised in Springdale. He graduated from Springdale High School in 2000. After graduation, Fischer enlisted in the Air Force.

        He is a substitute teacher in Springdale and writes while he is in class and at night.

        He also works in the bakery at the Harps Food Store on Sunset Avenue in Springdale.

        His hobbies include golf, piano, Marshall Arts and spending time with his family. His girls are involved in cheerleading, dance and tumbling.

        He plans to major in English and hopes to one day teach while continuing to write.

        Christian has written since age 8, he said.

        “Writing this book has been a wonderful journey from designing characters, to the plot and conflict of the story,” he says.

        He began writing the book in October 2005 and finished it earlier this year. The book was re-written 10 times, he says.

        “I included partial elements of Colonial history inside my story that takes place in a fantasy setting,” he says. “The original name of the book was, "The Legend of King Cassarone," which was a 4-page poem I had written as a junior in high school.

        After the tenth rewrite, he said he decided to name it, "The Legend of Captain Troy."

        “It serves a prelude to a larger chronicle called, "The Johnny Troy Chronicles of Nehme," he says. “There are many more books to come.

        “When I created the characters, they seemed lifelike. The names I had chosen for each character fit their descriptions, and made the story even more exciting. Although, I had the plot and the conflicts of the story, I never knew what was going to happen next.”

        That, he says, is what makes writing so exciting – “expect the unexpected!”

        He said getting published was no easy task.

        “It required several hours and months of research, not only for literary agents, but the publishing industry,” he says.

        Christian submitted more than 50 query letters and synopsis to various literary agents before his material was accepted for publication.

        He can be reached at cfischer1@nwacc.edu

From the book jacket:

“Johnny Troy, although from a low-class family, has always considered himself an average young man with many inspirations and dreams like everyone else. His father was an ordinary farmer who was dedicated in his work, and his mother took care of the daily chores. Johnny was always fighting in school with a boy named Thomas Bradley. His father, Mr. Bradley, was the greatest architect in the world. His life to him was somewhat normal and unexciting. All is about to change when an elf asked Johnny to save their world if Shambaek. It was a world of magic that Johnny thought of only as myths and fantasies. Whoever saw a dragon soar through the sky, or dwarves that lived in trees? Come on and become a pirate with him and his friends as they search for a missing key that may unfold the secrets to the unknown."

For questions/comments on this content, please contact Jim Hall jhall@nwacc.edu