Introductory

Allow me to make myself known to you.

My name is Julian Raphael Traas (it sounds made up, I know) and I am an eighteen-year-old author/artist.
I've just published my first novel, entitled "The Rebirth of Rhin". It's available on amazon.com and other sites.

I was born May 15th in Saint-Germain en Laye in Paris, France. Though, I'm not French. I'm actually Dutch-American, for you curious cats.
Anyway, we moved from France when I was a wee babe of two. We ended up in... care to guess?... Taiwan. Did you get it right?
Taiwan is a little island off the coast of China... and it falls under Chinese jurisdiction off and and on every year or two. My little brother was born there in '94-- and let's just say it wouldn't be a good idea for him to go to China. Because on his passport it says "Taiwan".

So we lived in Taiwan until I was five, then we packed up and hit the road... erm, ocean... and went off to the Netherlands. Away, away to meet my heritage!
Kindergarten was rough. I hadn't learned to speak much Dutch yet, even though my Dad came from there. The other kids were mean to me (sniffle) and refused to believe that I was six!
It was difficult for me to make friends at first, but I managed eventually.

Moving along. (Don't worry, you'll have plenty of time to get to know me better.)

Then, we moved back to France when I was nine. I had to leave everything I knew behind. At the time, I was immensely depressed and begged for some form of release. I began to write.

Then came "The Deal". The French teachers didn't think I had the stomach for the awesome amount of knowledge that I would face in CM1 (fourth grade), so they kept me back in CE2 (third grade). Having been held back a year, I was distraught. But as I said: then came "The Deal".
If I were miraculously able to learn the French language in a month, I would be moved up to fifth grade next year. Thus, to make it "easier", they were holding me back and then shoving me ahead a year! Makes sense to them I guess.
By the grace of some divinity who must love the hell out of me, I did it. And I was back on track.

Looking back, I realize that those five years spent in France shaped me most of all.
It was from my horrible elementary school teachers that I learned to develop the villains I would come to write about in my fantasy novels. The darkness that engulfed me became my muse... the flames of my own self-hate warmed my bed at night. And, I lived on.

The next milestone was Hong Kong, China. There I remained for six months before my mother decided to spirit me and my brother away to the US.
My parents are now divorced (or near enough as makes no matter) and here I friggin' am.

I've been writing and drawing since I was seven. Only recently did I get Photoshop 7 and Illustrator CS3, but those programs have allowed me to vastly improve my abilities.
Seeing how you're good people, I'll post a link to some of my work soon.

I hope very much to one day become successful in my writing enterprise. Enough so as to scrape along the dirt, at least. I wasn't made for day jobs. I know that's been said so many times it's a cliche, but I'm just too strange, I suppose. My head can't wrap around the work.

This brings me to the end of my first post, with more to come. I just feel that no one really wants to read big blocks of text-- strains yer oiyes-- so, I'll continue the epic tale of my voyages over the course of our time together.

Salute!

Julian