About you.
Name:
Ivan Amberlake
Website:
http://www.ivanamberlake.weebly.com/
Other contacts/social media sites:
Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/ivan.amberlake
Goodreads:
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6907727.Ivan_Amberlake
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/IvanAmberlake
Link to Amazon page and or any other place that your books can be purchased:
Amazon US Kindle: http://amzn.com/B00B7TG2DC
Amazon UK Kindle:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00B7TG2DC
Where did you grow up?
I grew up in Belarus, in a small, quiet town with a rich history and beautiful architecture.
When did you start writing?
During my post-graduate course I had way too much free time, and I thought I should try something I’d never tried before. As I am an avid reader, the idea of writing my own book always appealed to me, so back then was a favorable time for me to start writing.
What made you start writing?
Mostly the question of “Will I be able to write a book?” was what made me sit and type my first sentences. I got really excited when I realized that I can write something longer than a short story. From then on I kept sitting for hours and typing more and more. That was really exciting experience for me.
Is it something that you have always wanted to do?
To tell you the truth, I detested reading until the age of 15 when my English teacher offered me to read the first Harry Potter book. Writing a book was never on my mind until my university years, but I must say once you start writing a book, it’s difficult to stop. Now it’s what I really want to do, what I need to do, although there is often everyday life in the way.
What is your favorite genre to read, and do you have any favorite books or authors you would like to recommend?
I really enjoy urban fantasy and crime/thriller books. Too difficult to speak about favorite authors and books, there are too many of them. Right now I’m reading Velocity by Dean Koontz, and I’m rather enjoying it.
What about to write?
Definitely fantasy with a paranormal twist. I also have an idea for a crime/thriller book, but I can’t say if I will ever get to writing it. I need to finish Books 2 and 3 of The Beholder Series first, then get to something new.
Do you write full time? If not, what do you do?
Unfortunately, no. Most of my day I teach English classes: morning, evening. I have only a couple of hours during the day, and an hour or two late at night, so finding even a few minutes for writing is
bliss.
Do you ever base your characters on anyone that you know, or are they solely from your imagination?
In most cases, my characters are partially based on the people I know. That helps me see them in a clearer way. But I never just took a person I know and inserted him/her into my novel. Perhaps I should do that sometime. It must be fun actually.
About your book
Tell us about your latest book. The story/plot.
My debut paranormal fantasy novel, THE BEHOLDER, is an action-packed, fast-paced story set in modern-day New York. Here is the description:
Worlds of Light and Darkness are about to clash. And Jason will be in the thick of it.
In Asunción, Minsk and Sydney, people die under mysterious circumstances. Each branded with an arcane sign, they are pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. When more people are missing, with similar signs appearing in and around their homes, Jason, an average New Yorker, realizes the victims are a riddle addressed to him.
He is the final piece.
Emily appears, the most beautiful woman with extraordinary powers and startling amber eyes, and tells Jason that powers dormant within him are about to wake. In the world of Lightsighted and Darksighted, he is the only person who can prevent Darkness from enslaving the world. He is the Beholder whose advent has been awaited for many years.
Setting out on a journey with Emily, Jason discovers many improbable things like Sight, Soulfusion, the Hall of Refuge, but the greatest surprise arrives the moment he falls in love with Emily.
What gave you the idea?
There are a few threads in the book, and each of them is based on my ideas of the world around me. First of all, I always was intrigued by the idea of getting my mind into someone else’s body. That’s what Jason, the main character, is going through in the book.
What genre is it?
Urban/Paranormal
Fantasy/Romance
Who is your favorite character?
I enjoy writing about all of my characters, good and evil. I love them in different ways. Jason, Debbie and Matthew, they are like siblings. Tyler is a very mysterious character, mainly because of his appearance and backstory. Emily is charming and irresistible. These characters are all different, therefore I enjoy writing about them so much.
And worst?
I’m not sure I can write about someone I don’t like, so I’m not sure if I have such characters. I think it will be up to the readers to decide if they like or dislike my characters.
What are your hopes for it?
Every writer wants his or her book to become a best-seller, right? Well, I do believe that I have a marketable novel, and all I need (as most of us do) is a little push at the start, mainly from people who don’t know me. I’m going to make my Kindle book free on Amazon and Smashwords soon, and if people leave their reviews on my book and give their honest opinion, they will help me get closer to that dream.
What’s the next project that you’re working on?
I’m working on two books right now. One of them is Book 2 of The Beholder Series called Path of the Heretic, and the other one is a YA Paranormal Fantasy called Diary of the Gone, which is about a boy who has to write in his diary to ward off the dead that keep haunting him. Not sure if this is going to be a novel or a novella, but I must say my wife and my friends really like the idea of this book.
What’s the best piece of advice that you have been given in regards to your writing?
A friend of mine, Yannis Karatsioris, once advised me to put my characters in hell, and make them find a way out of this hell. It was one of the best pieces of advice that inspired me to add more action (more chapters actually) into my book than there used to be. So put your characters in impasses then let them find a way out of there. That’s what people like reading about.
To check out Ivan Amberlake's debut Paranormal Thriller follow the links below to Amazon.com!
Amazon US
Amazon UK
Name:
Ivan Amberlake
Website:
http://www.ivanamberlake.weebly.com/
Other contacts/social media sites:
Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/ivan.amberlake
Goodreads:
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6907727.Ivan_Amberlake
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/IvanAmberlake
Link to Amazon page and or any other place that your books can be purchased:
Amazon US Kindle: http://amzn.com/B00B7TG2DC
Amazon UK Kindle:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00B7TG2DC
Where did you grow up?
I grew up in Belarus, in a small, quiet town with a rich history and beautiful architecture.
When did you start writing?
During my post-graduate course I had way too much free time, and I thought I should try something I’d never tried before. As I am an avid reader, the idea of writing my own book always appealed to me, so back then was a favorable time for me to start writing.
What made you start writing?
Mostly the question of “Will I be able to write a book?” was what made me sit and type my first sentences. I got really excited when I realized that I can write something longer than a short story. From then on I kept sitting for hours and typing more and more. That was really exciting experience for me.
Is it something that you have always wanted to do?
To tell you the truth, I detested reading until the age of 15 when my English teacher offered me to read the first Harry Potter book. Writing a book was never on my mind until my university years, but I must say once you start writing a book, it’s difficult to stop. Now it’s what I really want to do, what I need to do, although there is often everyday life in the way.
What is your favorite genre to read, and do you have any favorite books or authors you would like to recommend?
I really enjoy urban fantasy and crime/thriller books. Too difficult to speak about favorite authors and books, there are too many of them. Right now I’m reading Velocity by Dean Koontz, and I’m rather enjoying it.
What about to write?
Definitely fantasy with a paranormal twist. I also have an idea for a crime/thriller book, but I can’t say if I will ever get to writing it. I need to finish Books 2 and 3 of The Beholder Series first, then get to something new.
Do you write full time? If not, what do you do?
Unfortunately, no. Most of my day I teach English classes: morning, evening. I have only a couple of hours during the day, and an hour or two late at night, so finding even a few minutes for writing is
bliss.
Do you ever base your characters on anyone that you know, or are they solely from your imagination?
In most cases, my characters are partially based on the people I know. That helps me see them in a clearer way. But I never just took a person I know and inserted him/her into my novel. Perhaps I should do that sometime. It must be fun actually.
About your book
Tell us about your latest book. The story/plot.
My debut paranormal fantasy novel, THE BEHOLDER, is an action-packed, fast-paced story set in modern-day New York. Here is the description:
Worlds of Light and Darkness are about to clash. And Jason will be in the thick of it.
In Asunción, Minsk and Sydney, people die under mysterious circumstances. Each branded with an arcane sign, they are pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. When more people are missing, with similar signs appearing in and around their homes, Jason, an average New Yorker, realizes the victims are a riddle addressed to him.
He is the final piece.
Emily appears, the most beautiful woman with extraordinary powers and startling amber eyes, and tells Jason that powers dormant within him are about to wake. In the world of Lightsighted and Darksighted, he is the only person who can prevent Darkness from enslaving the world. He is the Beholder whose advent has been awaited for many years.
Setting out on a journey with Emily, Jason discovers many improbable things like Sight, Soulfusion, the Hall of Refuge, but the greatest surprise arrives the moment he falls in love with Emily.
What gave you the idea?
There are a few threads in the book, and each of them is based on my ideas of the world around me. First of all, I always was intrigued by the idea of getting my mind into someone else’s body. That’s what Jason, the main character, is going through in the book.
What genre is it?
Urban/Paranormal
Fantasy/Romance
Who is your favorite character?
I enjoy writing about all of my characters, good and evil. I love them in different ways. Jason, Debbie and Matthew, they are like siblings. Tyler is a very mysterious character, mainly because of his appearance and backstory. Emily is charming and irresistible. These characters are all different, therefore I enjoy writing about them so much.
And worst?
I’m not sure I can write about someone I don’t like, so I’m not sure if I have such characters. I think it will be up to the readers to decide if they like or dislike my characters.
What are your hopes for it?
Every writer wants his or her book to become a best-seller, right? Well, I do believe that I have a marketable novel, and all I need (as most of us do) is a little push at the start, mainly from people who don’t know me. I’m going to make my Kindle book free on Amazon and Smashwords soon, and if people leave their reviews on my book and give their honest opinion, they will help me get closer to that dream.
What’s the next project that you’re working on?
I’m working on two books right now. One of them is Book 2 of The Beholder Series called Path of the Heretic, and the other one is a YA Paranormal Fantasy called Diary of the Gone, which is about a boy who has to write in his diary to ward off the dead that keep haunting him. Not sure if this is going to be a novel or a novella, but I must say my wife and my friends really like the idea of this book.
What’s the best piece of advice that you have been given in regards to your writing?
A friend of mine, Yannis Karatsioris, once advised me to put my characters in hell, and make them find a way out of this hell. It was one of the best pieces of advice that inspired me to add more action (more chapters actually) into my book than there used to be. So put your characters in impasses then let them find a way out of there. That’s what people like reading about.
To check out Ivan Amberlake's debut Paranormal Thriller follow the links below to Amazon.com!
Amazon US
Amazon UK
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