Hello,
I'm Natalie J. Holden (not-my-real-name).
I was always fascinated with everything that was different. Since early childhood I was interested in ancient civilizations, exotic animals and different cultures. I also read a lot of science-fiction and fantasy, though I was always baffled by the worlds that seem locked in perpetual European middle-ages for thousands of years.
Pretty early I started creating my fantasy worlds full of magic and strange creatures. As years passed, the idea expanded into the entire universe filled with hundreds of worlds, dozens of species and multiple different cultures.
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Also, from as long as I remember I was struggling with depression and social ineptitude. Even in primary school it was much easier for me to bury myself in books than interact with my peers. That led to bullying, which in turn created anxiety and made me think that humans are more trouble than they're worth. Scanty acquaintances I made dissolved in the following years and having not acquire social skills, it was difficult for me to make new ones. In time, my depression deepened, ineptitude turned to anxiety.
I studied archeology, but the major depressive episode put an end to my academic career. Since then I've been doing menial jobs, trying to figure out what to do with my life.
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So, as you can see, I'm uniquely qualified to write about failing in life. In all seriousness though, I like creating characters who are unique, maladjusted and struggling to find their place in the universe. Other Worlds are the most optimistic of my works. Tyrel Kan, the protagonist of Octopus Song is a failure, but at least he's amusing. And Aldeaith Han, the protagonist of The Outworlder is... Well, you'll have to wait and see.
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My pen name doesn't have any deeper meaning. I like the way the name 'Natalie' rolls on the tongue and 'Holden' sounds almost like 'Helden', which is a kickass song by Apocalyptica. You should go check it out.
Personally I like cats, chocolate, food and forests. My favorite books are The Witcher Saga, Chronicles of Amber and (almost) everything by H.P Lovecraft.
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You can contact me at njholdenauthor@gmail.com
