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About me:
I am 36 years old and from my childhood, fantastical creatures have always been a part of my life. Whether it was super heroes or Greek mythology, supernatural beings captured my imagination on a daily basis. My fascination with suspense grew from my affinity for horror and thriller films, which I have watched from a very young age. I remember when I was in Jr. High I was writing a short story based on a common fear that everyone shares, being alone in complete darkness in an unfamiliar place. I paid some classmates to spend ten minutes in an old abandoned building with no light and equipped only with a voice recorder. I got a lot of information for my story. I realized writing involved more than just words. It involves all of the senses. And that is when I began detailed descriptive writing.
I began doing research about the world of the undead including werewolves, warlocks, strigoi, and eventually I sank my teeth into the vampire. From my research, ‘Aleron’ was born.
The inspiration for writing ‘Aleron’ was a combination of many factors, including my love for vampires in general, and my respect for the genre as a whole, in addition to recognizing a need to cater to ALL vampire fans instead of a select few. I feel that many fans are being overlooked as they are bombarded with modernized pale imitations of who and what vampires really are. In short, I wanted to tell a story rich with love, betrayal and action that would bring all fantasy fiction lovers back to the written word.
I was influenced by the original writings and notes of Bram Stoker, along with the vampire characterization of Anne Rice, as well as the style of Stephen King and story telling detail of Thomas Harris and J.R.R. Tolkien. Historical writing filled with fact and folklore of Romanian historians have also influenced my writing. Fear of the undead remains prevalent in some towns surrounding Brasov, Transylvania, Snagov, and SIGHISOARA.
My writing process begins with a topic of interest followed by extensive research in an effort to tickle all five senses. For instance, in order for me to bring the setting of ‘Aleron’ to life, I visited the very places that are described in the book. This allowed me to convey the actual smell, look, feel, and taste of the environment, as well as the many distinct sounds prevalent in that land and during that era. From there I put together a living outline that guides me from start to finish, in addition to having the flexibility for my characters to take whatever route they wish to accomplish set goals. I then spend many months getting to know my characters beginning with an extensive character bio. Sometimes I pretend to be a character for an extended period of time; even interacting with others as the character. This helps me learn what my character would and wouldn’t do in certain situations. Finally, I began to write, and once I began, the characters take over and finish it.
What makes ‘Aleron’ different? The same difference between Mercedes and Lexus, Research and Development: I infused realism with my imagination to give birth to a fantastical story that is rooted in legend and seasoned with fact. My studies and travels of and to Eastern European allowed me to give my characters depth inside of a realistic environment. My vampires are not of our day, they are from days of old, which brings historical richness in storytelling. There was a time when vampires were feared, even though they were beautiful, elegant, and immortal, people were still afraid of them. I have brought that back with a humanistic twist. ‘Aleron’ is sure to entertain vampire lovers, and general fantasy fiction readers alike. Whether young or old, male or female, this book has something that will keep you turning the page.
My advice for new and upcoming writers is to never stop writing. Don’t let anyone discourage you and write for the love of the genre and not for the money. If your writing is good, the money will follow. Continue reading works from many authors. This will improve your general writing skills as well as grow your understanding of what people are reading.
I just returned from Romania and pictures and video will be posted soon at www.aleron.co, Facebook (Aleron fan page). Aleron’s reviews are at www.amazon.com, www.aleron.co, www.barnesandnoble.com, goldenpen, and readers favorite. Aleron can be purchased online from all online book sellers and will be in stores mid-summer!
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Thank you, Kane, for sharing with us.
1 comment:
You had at me Anne Rice!
I've grown a little tired of all the new style vampire books and this looks to be right up my alley.
I'm blown away by all the research and traveling you've done. Kudos to you and good luck with your blog tour. :D
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