Christopher S. Ledbetter’s “Caenus and The Quiver of Artemis” Top Seller at Book Festival

June 18, 2009 - PRLog -- GALAX, VA-  Chapters Bookshop in Galax, Virginia hosted its annual Authors On Grayson Street- Book Festival. The festival was attended by forty-five authors selling and signing books from a wide range of genres. Christopher S. Ledbetter’s debut historical young adult novel “Caenus and The Quiver of Artemis” stole the show with honors as Top Selling Single Title at the festival.

“It was my first book festival,” Ledbetter said. “I came to the festival without any preconceived notions or expectations and it seemed that the gods smiled down upon me. The Greek gods, that is.”


About the novel:

Christopher S. Ledbetter, of Wilmington, North Carolina, just published his highly anticipated debut novel, “Caenus And The Quiver Of Artemis” through Outskirts Press in early January 2009. The novel is a cross between historical fantasy and alternate history, as fictional characters inhabit real historical settings of Ancient Greece. The fantasy aspect is woven masterfully as the Gods of the Pantheon interact with mortals in real and imagined mythological locales, much as they did in The Iliad, The Odyssey, and The Aeneid.

The novel has an intrinsically international appeal, being set in Ancient Greece and has upon its release garnered interest from fans in Canada and Greece as well as the United States. “Through hours upon hours of research, I endeavored to bring to life the real places that are featured in the novel. Someone who lives there now could definitely appreciate the work that went into it. Of course, I have thrown a bit of fantasy in there as well,” Ledbetter offered.

“After having taught middle school and high school for six years, I have a feel for what would hold the attention of the young adult audience; intense action and a good old fashioned love triangle,” Ledbetter said. “Its broad appeal, however, transcends a single demographic. Any lover of Ancient Greece and mythology will surely find the story enjoyable. It is an edge-of-your-seat, roller coaster of a story.”

Along the lines of intense action and a love triangle, “Caenus and the Quiver of Artemis” delivers both.  Prince Caenus (KEE-nuhs) of Iolkos, the title character and protagonist, sets out to prove his worth at Apollo’s Tournament in Corinth, a five-stage, grueling test of strength and endurance. There he meets two people who alter his life profoundly; Adriande, an elusive local peasant girl, and Makedon a ruthless prince from Neapolis. The hands of the gods guide Caenus and Makedon (ma-KĀ-don) toward a final showdown in the tournament, during which an unethical act is performed to secure victory. Bad blood forms between the two newly minted bitter rivals, and roils to a fevered pitch when Caenus later learns of a revelation he never could have seen coming. Caenus is unwittingly thrust into a set of events that test his faith, his mettle, and his love for Adriande, sending him to the farthest reaches of the Aegean Sea and The Underworld.

Ledbetter moved to Wilmington in August 2006 from Charlottesville, Virginia after a six-year teaching career in Culpeper, Virginia. With a new career as a car salesman, Ledbetter relished his nights free of lesson planning and grading that so commonly came with teaching, and so set about indulging in a long dormant dream of writing. “Caenus” began as an idea for a short story, and blossomed into a trilogy, “Of Kings And Gods.”

“I outlined the initial story on a pocket flip pad in December 2006. When I had almost finished the first draft of “Caenus and the Quiver of Artemis,” the remainder of the trilogy just sort of revealed itself to me,” Ledbetter remarked. “Caenus is definitely put through his paces.”

“Caenus and The Quiver of Artemis,” is being sold through www.Amazon.com and www.BarnesandNoble.com

For more information on the novel:
www.caenusquiverofartemis.com
www.myspace.com/quiverofartemis


Theresa Lazo at Chapters Bookshop can be reached at 276-236-9703 or by email: galaxbookfestival@hotmail.com

Christopher Ledbetter can be reached at 910-352-7265 or by email: cs_ledbetter@yahoo.com