Interview With Author Ivan Lekoski

 

1. What inspired you to write this book? My main source of inspiration was the anime show called "Overlord". It is about a guy who gets trapped in the world of the online game he had been playing and now has to live as his in-game avatar. As the main character he is ridiculously overpowered, but also cruel and cunning. So I thought to myself, "it would be cool to try and write a story about a character like that", and that is how it started. On the other hand, I've always been a fan of the fantasy genre. Ever since I was a little boy I grew up reading stories like the one about King Arthur , the works of Tolkien, Harry Potter, etc ... in other words I was drawn to worlds about magic and knights. Later on in life, the desire to try and write a fantasy work of my own was sparked within me, and so this show provided me the push I needed.   

2. What exactly is it about and who is it written for? It is about a Demon-King named Abaddon who once in life was defeated by an alliance of different races, but now has returned and aims to reclaim his former glory. The story follows his renewed rise to power which takes him through many challenges and hardships. This book is written primarily for fantasy fans, they are my main target, especially those who like the dark-fantasy type of fiction.   

3. What do you hope readers will get out of reading your book? I hope that they will get out a sense of satisfaction that they've read something good. I hope that the book will leave a good impression on them and they'll be interested in reading more.  

4. How did you decide on your book’s title and cover design? The book's title is an allusion to the might of my main character. I wanted something short and impactful, but also being able to convey the core, the essence of the whole story, so I went with Invictus. It is Latin for "invincible". The design for the cover was made by my publisher, but the design of the character is mine. I took inspiration from Tolkien's Witch-King because I believe he is a perfect representation of malice and power; the veiled face, the black robes ... it really emphasises the sense of dread this character exudes so I wanted something similar for Abaddon. I believe it's a perfect match for a Demon.   

5. What advice or words of wisdom do you have for fellow writers – other than run!?  Well, for one, I am aware that the thought of writing a book can be intimidating. It certainly is not easy to come up with names, plot threads, and all other elements that make up the story, especially when it is fantasy because you have to invent a whole world from scratch. But I want to tell all those aspiring authors out there not to be afraid - take the first step. Once you're out of your initial sense of doubt, things will start to line up for you by themselves, all you have to do is just start writing. I myself had doubts as to whether I'll see this book to the end because I've attempted to write something in the past but left it unfinished half-way through, I was afraid that that will happen to this book. Luckily, that didn't happen because once I've started, the building blocks began falling in place on their own. And if you're in the process of writing a book but feel stuck - don't be anxious. I've found that long walks in the woods or anywhere in nature helps clear that blockade away.  

6. What trends in the book world do you see -- and where do you think the book publishing industry is heading?  I see that many aspiring authors are opting for self-publishing, which is a good thing. It's very difficult to find a publisher and even if you do, the process can be very expensive. So I think that we are heading to a place where self-publishing might overtake the classical way of publishing through a publisher. I also see that there is a great interest among aspiring authors to write fantasy, which is great news for someone who likes to read that particular genre - one simply cannot get enough of it.   

7. Were there experiences in your personal life or career that came in handy when writing this book?  Definitely. As I mentioned before, my main source of inspiration was the anime show "Overlord", and also the books I've read. So I would say that all of the fantasy media I have consumed throughout my life, be it movies, games, books etc ... gave me a clear perspective of how a fantasy world should look like. The themes, the backgrounds and all other elements were clearly laid out before me in my mind. It's not just fantasy works however, but also media about history as well. Since fantasy works are generally set in a Mediaeval European type of setting it is quite handy to know about the ways of life in those times, the specifics surrounding weapons and armor and so on. In my case, the knowledge I have on ancient history came in handy, specifically of Mesopotamia, since certain elements regarding the kingdom of Abaddon were inspired by it. I should also add here that my experience of studying English at college helped me in better understanding how languages work, which in turn helped me to develop a language for the demons.      

8. How would you describe your writing style? Which writers or books is your writing similar to? For this book I took the approach of drama, which means that the narrative is written like a play, with a third-person omniscient narrator in between. It's not necessarily my to-go approach but I felt like it would be fitting for this book. Furthermore, my writing style involves detailed descriptions of characters and places, and of action scenes taking place. I like to be as detailed as possible regarding these things so that I may give the readers a more vivid picture of what is happening.  I don't believe that anyone has written a book in the style I have used, I think it's rather unique. There are some elements of Tolkien in the narration however.  

9. What challenges did you overcome in the writing of this book? As I said before, the main challenge that I overcame was the fear of leaving it unfinished. I had doubts in my ability to see this through the end. I was always plagued by such thoughts as "What if I can't finish it?", "What if I don't know how to properly finish the story" etc ... basically the biggest issue of  "whether I could do this, or not". But as I wrote ,I read my material to my mother and grandmother and they were very fascinated and intrigued by the story. So you could say that within me a sense of duty awoke to see this work to the end, to give my audience the conclusion that they deserved. Not just to them, but also to me as the author of this book, not to let my work go to waste. So, I went from thinking, "can I do this?" to " I can do this!" So I managed to overcome my self-doubt.  

10. If people can buy or read one book this week or month, why should it be yours? Because I believe that it will offer a unique experience to the fantasy fan, but also to those who are not necessarily fans of the genre. It contains a nice mixture of action, adventure, drama, romance ... so there is a little bit of everything for all to enjoy. I believe that readers would be intrigued and enthralled by the character interactions and most certainly by Abaddon's ingenuity when it comes to fulfilling his goals. To sum it up in one sentence I would say, "It's a wild ride".  

About the Author: My name is Ivan Lekoski, 28 years old. I come from Ohrid, the Republic of Macedonia, but I’m currently residing in Germany. I am a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature and Culture; I also have a minor in American Studies. My personal interests other than writing, are drawing and reading about history.  Please see: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ivan-lekoski-8678a2160/ and https://www.facebook.com/AbaddonInvictus; https://www.instagram.com/invictus_ivan.lekoski

 

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Brian Feinblum should be followed on LinkedIn. This is copyrighted by BookMarketingBuzzBlog ©2023. Born and raised in Brooklyn, he now resides in Westchester with his wife, two kids, and Ferris, a black lab rescue dog, and El Chapo, a pug rescue dog. His writings are often featured in The Writer and IBPA’s The Independent.  This award-winning blog has generated over 3.4 million pageviews. With 4,600+ posts over the past dozen years, it was named one of the best book marketing blogs by BookBaby  http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs  and recognized by Feedspot in 2021 and 2018 as one of the top book marketing blogs. It was also named by www.WinningWriters.com as a "best resource.” For the past three decades, including 21 years as the head of marketing for the nation’s largest book publicity firm, and two jobs at two independent presses, Brian has worked with many first-time, self-published, authors of all genres, right along with best-selling authors and celebrities such as: Dr. Ruth, Mark Victor Hansen, Joseph Finder, Katherine Spurway, Neil Rackham, Harvey Mackay, Ken Blanchard, Stephen Covey, Warren Adler, Cindy Adams, Todd Duncan, Susan RoAne, John C. Maxwell, Jeff Foxworthy, Seth Godin, and Henry Winkler. He recently hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America, and has spoken at ASJA, Independent Book Publishers Association Sarah Lawrence College, Nonfiction Writers Association, Cape Cod Writers Association, Willamette (Portland) Writers Association, APEX, and Connecticut Authors and Publishers Association. His letters-to-the-editor have been published in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, New York Post, NY Daily News, Newsday, The Journal News (Westchester) and The Washington Post. He has been featured in The Sun Sentinel and Miami Herald. For more information, please consult: www.linkedin.com/in/brianfeinblum.