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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