Greetings. If you are here, you've either searched for me or you have been pointed here through various links on other websites. Either way, you are most welcome to search through the various amusements that I have provided here.
I suppose some introductions should be done. "Thistles, Boars and Shadows" is the "official unofficial" website of Matthew G. Jenks. I am a chemist and would-be author, mostly of fantasy literature for now, but with a myriad of projects I would like to work on in a wide variety of fields. I am a resident of North Carolina and a proud graduate of both Saint Joseph's College in Rensselaer, IN (B.S.) and the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, IN (M.S. Chemistry).
I will try to provide semi-regular updates to the writing process; however, in lieu of that, you can find more serious updates at my blog, A Crown of Thistles, where I normally give bi-weekly accounts of what I've written as well as updated word and page counts. I also have a MySpace account which is horribly boring and features a picture of Shadowcat, for those of you who did not see X-3.
At the bottom of the page, you will find some links that take you to some of my other hobbies. These, too, will be updated as I continue reworking the site. Please understand that the site is undergoing some serious changes (in case you are new to the site) and things, for the time being, should remain somewhat fluid in their placement, wording or both. What was here yesterday might not be here tomorrow and whatnot.
My biggest and probably longest-running hobby has been reading. Right after that, I would say it's been writing. If you go way back to the first grade, I was always writing long, detailed stories. I was the only kid in Mrs. Hubbard's class who needed three sheets of paper to tell the story of the Three Billy Goats Gruff (illustrated...with green goats) and from there it has developed into something of a passion. When the creative juices are flowing, I feel all is right with the world, both the one around me and the one I'm creating (even my non-fiction has elements of fiction in it, since I do not want to alienate and insult my friends and family).
That being said, my two greatest creations right now are a stand-alone novel (with potential for a sequel) titled The Boar War and a multi-volume series I've named The Hundred Kings Saga. I'm almost finished with the first two volumes, King of Shadows and King of Thistles. Originally, King of Shadows and King of Thistles were one story, but the sheer length of the volume forced me to split it in two. Aside from some tidying up, King of Shadows is done. King of Thistles is mostly done; I need to add a few chapters here and there in order to complete the story arcs that I have made for these two parts of the series.
The Boar War is completely separate from the Hundred Kings stories. It takes place in a different land with different people entirely. The main focus revolves around a young girl who cannot speak to other people, but can communicate with animals. Unfortunately, she finds herself in the midst of a war between two nations and, as she flees for her life, falls into another conflict. This one, however, is between man and beast and the animals of the land gather their forces for a counterstrike against the wrongs mankind has done to them for centuries, most damning of all being forgetting or ignoring the oaths struck between the first men to appear in the land and the ancient Mammoth King, Greatback. While the girl moves through the world, trying to stop the war between the beasts and men as well as the fighting between the men, she comes into contact with several beasts with whom she becomes friends as well as a young knight, whom she nurses back to health after he is wounded in battle. The knight, thankful for her attentiveness, travels with her. Now the only question is, will they be able to stop the wars before either side gets their wish and completely wipes the other from existance?
I'm still writing the book. I have about 10,000 words to go, and I hope to be finished by the end of May and have the story ready for submission by June. I have yet to pick out my first submission nor the first agency to which I will submit it in order to find representation.
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