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Everyone hopes to get recognized and appreciated for their efforts and the same is applicable to all the very promising and very talented debut authors out there who have given us great books but are sometimes not appreciated to their full extent mostly due to lack of publicity. So I bring to you every week one very talented new author and get you acquainted with him so that we never miss out on any of their great works!
This week I have with me Andre Alan who is the author of the YA, Sci-fi, fantasy novel Heaven's Fate which is part of a trilogy and his next book in the series is coming out in January 2014.
Welcome to Njkinny's World of Books, Andre!
Lets grab a cup of coffee and start the interview.
Q1. Tell us something about
yourself.
I was born in Manchester, CT but grew up and went to
school in Hartford, CT. After that I went to college in New Haven, CT and
majored in International
Business. I have been drawing and creating characters since childhood, so it seemed obvious to start a business doing something that you love.
Business. I have been drawing and creating characters since childhood, so it seemed obvious to start a business doing something that you love.
Q2. In one sentence, what is
your book Heaven's Fate about?
Heaven's Fate is a tale of choices between free will
and fate; revenge, love and relationships between family, friends and foes.
Q3. What inspired you to write
this book?
I was inspired by a few different sources; the idea
for the book came from my time in
college when I watched a lot of Dragon Ball Z anime. What inspired me to
actually sit down and develop these characters into something worth reading was
when I picked up the Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan.
Q4. Do you have a specific writing style?
Not really.
Q5. How did you come up with the title?
This series revolves around Heaven and all of the
different aspects associated with it. From the deceased father to the spiritual
realm that Thame enters in order to communicate with Masaya. This book also has
to do with the fate of the characters and how they handle it and whether they accept
it or not.
Q6. Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?
If I had to choose
something that the readers could grasp from my book is the fact that anything
is possible. As long as you believe in yourself then you can find a strength
that is unmatched through dedication and hard work. Do things your own way
because at the end of the day, you are only responsible for yourself; only you
will be able to answer for the things that you have done in your life.
Q7. What was your technique when planning your plot and characters?
I like to free flow and develop the plot and characters as I write the
story. I feel like if I don’t plot everything out before hand it gives my mind
the free range to roam and explore and put the characters into dynamic and
interesting circumstances.
Q8. What do you love most about writing?
I love when I get into a flow and words are just
pouring from my mind so fast that I cant write them down fast enough. Sometimes
there are just instances as a writer when you are clicking on all cylinders and
new ideas are flowing seamlessly.
Q9. If you had to do it all over
again, would you change anything in your latest book?
If I could, I
would probably spend a little bit more time on the relationships between
different characters like the budding romance between Thame and Charlotte. The
off kilter “father-son” relationship between Miles and Merle and also the
family dynamic for Thame and Autumn.
Q10. What were the challenges (research, literary, psychological, and logistical) in bringing it to life?
All of the above
and plenty more. The world creation took extensive research when I had to
create an earth-like world yet larger than the earth and has two moons. After
that it was developing the characters and then trying to constantly put them
into situations where they will face adversity so that way the readers can
connect with them. I don’t have a degree in writing or English or anything like
that so I am very dependent upon outside help such as editors who help to
polish the novel into a gem that is readable and with that comes all type of
concerns like how good are the people that you are working with and more
importantly, how trust worthy are they. When you couple all that with the writer
himself trying to battle of the psychological demons that pop up in ones mind
from writing fatigue, to questioning whether or not this material is even good
enough and will people like it. From dealing with owning your own publishing company
and building the website to working with the distribution company in order to
release the book.
Q11. Do you see writing as a
career?
To me, writing is
one of the ultimate careers, similar to golf. Golfers can play for 60 years if
they choose to and that cannot be said for many professions. Writing is one of
those professions where you can start writing when you are young and continue
to do it as long as your fingers can still move and your brain can still form
cohesive sentences and interesting characters.
Q12.Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?
The editing
process is probably the most challenging for me during the writing process. I
get caught up in trying to make every sentence too perfect.
Q13. What was the hardest part of writing your book?
It’s always tough
for me to first start writing and to get the flow going. The hardest part had
to be getting all of the ideas written down into something that makes sense. It’s
easy to have a story in your head that you think will entertain people, it is
an out-of-this-world experience to go about the process of making those ideas
into something that you can hold in your hand.
Q14. Do you have any advice for other writers?
Continue to work
on your craft and read a lot – you can read books within the genre that you
write in but be sure to read other genre’s as well. By reading successful
authors you can see, first hand, what has worked for them and what elements
they used to create a popular, mainstream novel. Then incorporate some of those
characteristics into your own writing style.
Q15. Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?
To each and every
one of you out there, you are greatly appreciated and I hope that my stories
are entertaining. I hope that my stories help in some way, even if only to
cause laughter.
Q16. What are your current projects?
I am currently
working on book 3 titled Arcana’s Sayge, the last novel in the Heaven Trilogy,
which will tell the complete tale of Thame and his journey. I am also working
on a short story series that I release monthly on my blog: Ryukage Brainwork.
Q19. Where can people find you
on the Internet?
For more
information about the author Andre Alan please check the official EVapor
Entertainment company website: https://www.evaporent.com
and also social media:
Q20. What’s next up for you,
writing-wise?
Next I am probably
going to release another novel but this one will not be a three part series and
it will also appease to one specific audience. The next book I plan to release
is a hard core science fiction novel about artificial intelligence, advanced
technology, and robots but also how these concepts relate to laws, work, and
“human” rights.
Q21. Before you go how about an
excerpt from your book to intrigue and tantalize us.
You Can Run
Miles watched the sun
rise over tall buildings in the distant downtown of Consonance. He had no
trouble finding the coordinates for the weapon shop, which was located in a
rural area on the outskirts of Eioda’s major east coast city. This city was
renowned for its magicians. Elves traveled here from the eastern continent and
went to the Southern Consonance Sorcerer University in order to exchange
knowledge and materials with human wizards. Miles looked down at the tiled roof
of the blacksmith shop, and the massive chimney letting out a continuous stream
of smoke. He had observed the foot traffic for the store; business was doing
well. He looked down upon his quarry like a hawk, watching the ebb and flow of
people visiting the building. As noon approached, Miles finally allowed himself
to move from his vantage point from the top floor of the fifty-story hotel. His
prey had just arrived.
Exiting the
weapon-smith shop within thirty minutes, Thame and Charlotte were empty handed.
Miles noticed the man was no longer carrying that strange, color-shifting box
he had entered with. He realized the material for the weapon must have been
inside. Miles sat down on a sofa in the den of his hotel room, legs crossed and
hands placed behind his head. He practically sank into the soft cushions. Miles
let a rare smile spread across his face and enjoyed the moment; later that
night, his work would begin.
****
“Who are you? What do
you want?” asked Declan, clutching his chest, trying to stem the rivulets of
dark red gushing from a deep slash in his chest. Blood dripped to the floor
from the open wound. He slowly crawled backward, leaving every surface smeared
with streaks of crimson.
Miles Xavier did not
respond. He saw no need to rush the kill. Savoring the moment of death is where
he found out a person’s true nature. He stepped forward agonizingly slow,
tormenting his victim.
“The money is in the
safe. Just please take it and leave,” said Declan.
“Where is the sword?”
asked Miles.
“I don’t know. Just
pick whichever one you want. You can have them all.”
“The one you made
today. You know of which I speak, elf.”
“Please don’t kill me.”
Miles sent his blade
whirling in a low arch and stopped the weapon’s momentum suddenly. This skilled
move caused the blood dripping from the metal to splash onto the ash darkened
stone floor. His straight-blade jian sword was now free of blood. The shining
silver metal seemed to take on a life of its own as forge fire was reflected
down the blade. Miles slowly stalked toward his helpless victim.
****
Charlotte Landry
quickened her pace toward the weapons shop. After hours waiting for Thame to
return she decided to leave the hotel. He left without letting her know where
he was going besides saying, running down
a lead, therefore she naturally got bored sitting around a hotel. Outside
the weapons-smith shop, she sensed something amiss. The constant drum of
Declan’s hammer usually kept passerby’s unconsciously walking to the same beat.
She silently leapt the three short stairs leading to the wooden porch and
pressed her ear against the front door, which was suspiciously closed. It was
too quiet. Charlotte expected to at least hear Declan and Elvira arguing. She
decided to send Thame an alert signal on their handhelds. She had no time to
wait for him. She would have to sneak in and observe until back-up arrived.
Creeping around the
edge of the building, Charlotte went towards the sound of voices that seeped
through an open window. She slowly pushed the unlocked window higher. Spiriting
through the upraised window like a gymnast, Charlotte cautiously picked her way
through the dimly lit back room of the workshop. She was careful not to disturb
anything. She arrived to see a man with black, waist-length hair standing with
his back to her. His left hand was tattooed with an ancient secret symbol that
covered the tips of his fingers. The man’s sword was held high in the air above
the quivering shopkeeper, who lay on the floor surrounded by his own blood. She
was too far away to block the downward swing. Her throwing knives flew towards
the mysterious man with lightning quickness. He must have sensed them coming,
and turned around at the last minute to block the two airborne daggers with his
blade.
“We’ve got company,
elf,” said Miles. “Pardon me.”
“Who are you?” asked
Charlotte, brandishing her twin batons. “What are you doing here?”
“Typical,” replied
Miles turning around. “ENS military right?”
Leaking scarlet onto
the uneven stone floor, Declan lay on the verge of death, trying to fight the
feeling forcing him to lower his eyelids and go to sleep. He still had enough
common sense to use what little strength he had left to inch away from the two
killers.
In the dimly lit room,
Charlotte tried to sidestep in the direction of the hurt elf. The forges in the
nearby room still blasted away with metal melting heat. Her assailant stood
motionless, staring. “What are you after,” she asks.
“You know the answer to
that,” replied Miles dashing forward, blade twirling.
Charlotte’s spun her
batons, deflecting slashes from the straight blade. The shiny black metal of
the batons soaked up the light of the nearby flames. Charlotte found herself on
the defensive only seconds later as Miles rushed forward. Her twin baton sticks
became a blur in her hand, parrying rapid attacks. Even after years of
training, Charlotte found herself on the retreat from the deadly assassin.
Instinct and reflexes stored in muscle memory saved her from receiving any
life-threatening wounds. But at the rate he was going, her assailant would not
need to deliver a death blow. She would die from a thousand gashes. To make the
situation worse, she had yet to land a strike.
“You should have trained harder, my dear,” said
Miles. “Do not worry though. I will be sending you some company in the
afterlife.”
Miles dashed toward
Charlotte, and the rapid clash of metal on metal sounded over again and again
as she deflected his sword. Reverberations shook Charlotte’s hands and forearms
with each parry. She clenched her teeth; vibrations wracked her thin, muscular
arms. She was sweating from the exertion, and with a lightning-quick move,
Miles managed to slice Charlotte’s hand and send one of her weapons flying out
of her grasp and sliding across the floor. The remaining baton could not
deflect the blow she knew was coming next. Her mind worked frantically to come
up with a way to avoid the death blow. Charlotte blinked her eyes for a second,
which would have been the end of her if not for the ultra-quick and magically
enhanced movements of her savior.
A gust of powerful wind and a cloud of smoke made
her open her eyes. Thame stood in front of her with sword in one hand and
las-gun pistol in the other. With a downward swing of his own blade, he
deflected the sword thrust of Miles only centimeters away from Charlotte’s
heart. He stood in front of her protectively. “Are you hurt?” asked Thame. His
shoulders heaved up and down, whether from anger or exertion, she could not
tell.
“Nothing too serious,” replied Charlotte, back
resting against the wall. Her eyes searched for her other weapon.
Thame took in the appearance of the man dressed
in all black standing only meters in front of him: long dark hair, pitch black
pools of tar for eyes and a dark carving on his cheek. “You again,” said Thame,
words dripping with scorn.
“Good to see you again too, Winter’s Legacy,”
replied Miles. “We will have to sit down and talk, you and me… in private. I
will be in touch.” A heartless smile crept across his face. Miles sheathed his
sword and clasped his hands together, fingers intertwined in intricate symbols.
Dark smoke rose from the ground around his feet.
Thame leapt towards his nemesis, las-gun firing
blue laser all the way. He was rewarded with a grunt of pain as a laser bolt
struck Miles. Running into a fog of thick smoke, Thame swung his sword, but his
arm did not feel the resistance expected.
Miles had vanished thanks to that smoke bomb
technique.
“Coward,” shouted Thame into the darkness. He
spit on the floor in frustration.
“He was outmatched at two against one,” said
Charlotte, placing a reassuring hand on Thame’s shoulder. “People like him
always run when the odds are not in their favor.”
“You’re right,” replied Thame, gnashing his teeth
together. He debated whether or not to follow, but then he looked at the sight
of the carnage around him, eyes growing wide with compassion and shock. The
frown typically plastered on his face returned with renewed vigor. “How are you
injuries, Captain?” he asked Charlotte.
“Worse than they look, honestly,” said Charlotte.
She let her face be tilted and turned by Thame’s large and calloused hand. He
surveyed the bruises. “I know everyone says that, but seriously, I’m fine.” She
forced a smile on her face, despite the blood leaking from her bottom lip.
“Uh, hello,” said Declan. “I am the one losing
truckloads of plasma over here.”
“I apologize,” said Thame. “I will be sure that
you are compensated for your troubles tonight. Miles Xavier’s head will be the
next on my trophy stand.”
Njkinny's World of Books wishes you the very best for your future and hopes to read lots more from you.
Originally posted here: http://njkinny.blogspot.in/2013/12/authorinterview-promising-debut-author.html
