Interview: Ian Alexander, Author of Once We Were Kings + Giveaway!!

As many of you know, I posted my review for Once We Were Kings by Ian Alexander, yesterday.  A perfect 5 stars!  If you missed it, please be sure to check it out!  Also, one lucky winner will receive their very own copy of this fabulous book!  Read until the end to find out how to enter!

Now, I am thrilled to death to share with readers, an interview that I did with Mr. Alexander, about his book, as well as a few other questions to allow readers to get to know the man behind the work!

Please help me in welcoming..... Ian Alexander!

Thank you, so much, Ian, for taking the time out of your crazy life to answer a few (or, truthfully several, lol) questions that I have.  Let's begin, shall we?

What do you hope readers will take away from reading Once We Were Kings?

Really, what I’m hoping is that readers young and old will capture a sense of grandeur, that there is so much more to existence than what we perceive superficially.  Your external appearance doesn’t matter, whether you’re a slave, peasant, or even someone born in a manger; you could be royalty and not even know it.  Humans looks to the outside, but the creator of all things looks into the heart.  No one defines you except your creator.

While reading Once We Were Kings, I kept thinking to myself "There had to have been a ton of research that went into creating such a detailed and epic story and characters." Can you tell us a bit about the research that you did and where you discovered much of your information and background story information?

Yes, I did quite a bit of research into the time period.  But most of it flowed from my own internalization of classics and fantasy books such as those of C.S. Lewis. 

The dialog, particularly of Greifer, is incredible poetic and incredibly time-period appropriate. It truly lent a smooth and dynamic aspect to the story. How difficult was that to accomplish?

Not quite as difficult as you might imagine.  But, you see, my father was a minister and he taught me and my brothers to read using the Bible.  And we read from a very young age from the King James Version.  So, I had a distinct advantage when I got to high school and had to read Shakespeare.  While my classmates were tripping over all the “thees and thous” I quite knew what it all meant without having to learn it then for the first time.  So a lot of it this type of “voice” was already ingrained my mind.

What was the most difficult part about writing Once We Were Kings?

I don’t think there were really any inherent difficulties.  Probably the hardest thing about it was to have confidence that my particular style of fantasy would be enjoyed by a wide array of readers (youth, adults, fantasy fans, non-fantasy fans, etc.)

The character names are very unique. How and where did you come up with them?

Right, well you see, the Tianese names and culture are inspired by ancient Chinese lore and society.  The western kingdom of Valdshire Tor is an amalgam of English and German.

How many books do you have planned for this epic journey?

Originally it was meant to be a trilogy.  It shall be that, at the very least.  But depending on how things go in the future, a series could stretch indefinitely because when an author creates a universe, past, present, and future are completely in his hands to do with as he sees fit.

If you were to write yourself into Once We Were Kings, what would your character be? Can you write and share a scene that would occur with us?

Well, of course I would write myself in as the court jester!  But seriously, I think every writer inserts a bit of themselves in every scene and every character, even when in real life they are completely different from the latter.

I can easily perceive this book appealing to young adults through adults. What age group is Once We Were Kings aimed at?

This book is written for ladies and gentlemen, and children of all ages!  I honestly didn’t think too much about who the target audience was after I got started.  But the truth is, my six year old son was the one who asked me to write him a book.  And that was several years ago.  He is now old enough to enjoy it, but I’m sure as he grows into an adult, he’ll uncover more layers of the subtext and themes.

I loved that at the closing of the book, you mentioned that your son asked you to write a story for him. This is where Once We Were Kings was born. Have you read the story to him? What was his reaction?

When I first started writing the book, for a bedtime story each night, I’d tell him the synopsis of the chapters I’d written each day.  He even gave me some ideas and made some requests.  Specifically, for the “spirit potential” manifested by the most unlikely of characters in this book, i.e., the frog spirit.  That was completely his idea.  I just had to find the right place to apply it.

Shape-shifting plays a rather important role in Once We Were Kings. Do you see conflict between this idea and the biblical undertones of the story?

Not any more that one would find a conflict in centaurs, fauns, river gods, white witches, wizards, etc., in the works of C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien, who were both Christian, and scholars.

What are you reading right now?

Wizard’s First Rule by Terry Goodkind.  And my son is reading it with me!

Who are some of your favorite authors and/or books?

The Bible is my favorite book.  Besides the power and inspiration one receives from reading it, the stories are epic and timeless.  There is transformative power in them.  Obviously, I adore all seven books in the Chronicles of Narnia, by C.S. Lewis, I also enjoy reading the works of Dean Koontz, Stephen King, Amy Tan, and Daniel Silva.

If you could invite 5 authors, living or dead, to supper, who would they be and what would you serve?

Well!  I don’t know that they’d particularly enjoy my company, but I would love to dine with C.S. Lewis, Dean Koontz, Jesus Christ, Mark Twain, and perhaps Charles Dickens.  As for what I’d serve?  Barbeque!

What are 5 rarely known facts about you?

          1. I have a multiple personality talent (Just ask my evil twin Joshua Graham)

          2. I play the cello

          3. I spent 12 years in college after 12 years of primary, middle and high school.

          4. My evil twin loves Snickers bars

          5. I read the Bible and pray every day (almost) before I start work.

What is the best advice that you have heard for life or writing?

Know the source of your calling and gifts.  Be humble and recognize your strengths and weakness with honesty.  And above all, if have faith!

I just want to mention how much I adore the cover of Once We Were Kings. It is absolutely gorgeous and truly represents the story. Who came up with the concept and design of the cover and how much were you able to lend to it?

Isn’t the cover beautiful?  It was created by Anna Steinbauer from Austria.  The concept and vision came from me, but she executed it perfectly and went way beyond my expectations.

Thank you so much, Ian, for taking the time to answer my questions. Where can readers find you on the web?

Thank you!  It’s been an honor to be here.  And yes, I love connecting with readers!  They can reach me here:

www.IanAlex.com

Facebook

   
Twitter: @IanAlex77

Purchase Once We Were Kings on Nook/Nook Color and Kindle!

Once We Were Kings will soon be made available in hardcover, paperback, as well as additional ereaders, so keep your eyes out!

Okay, now, who is ready to win a copy of Once We Were Kings?!?!??! 

Entering is very easy - simply leave a comment below, along with your email address so that I may contact you in case you are the lucky winner! That's all you have to do!  I would LOVE if you would share this contest via twitter, facebook, website, etc. Since this is ebook format, contest is open Internationally!


Contest open until June 13th, midnight, with winner being drawn shortly thereafter. 


*winner will be able to choose the reader format that works the best for them - Nook, Kindle, PDF, Sony, etc.

About Once We Were Kings:

In a world where the Sojourners, a nearly extinct race with preternatural abilities struggle to preserve their faith and heritage, destiny thrusts two youths from opposing nations into the heart of a centuries-old conflict.

Render, an orphan from the outskirts of the culturally enlightened Kingdom of Valdshire Tor, escapes slavery and seeks the truth about his true identity only to discover a web of conspiracies. This quest leads to the revelation of his uncanny ability to wield the destructive forces of nature.

Ahndien, sole survivor of a heinous raid on her peaceful village in the Eastern Kingdom of Tian Kuo, embarks on a journey to find her father, now a captive of Torian troops. What she uncovers surpasses anything she can imagine as she masters the ability to manipulate fire.

Guided by shape-shifting spirits, Render and Ahndien's fates collide when first they meet as mortal enemies. However, to save their people from annihilation, they must unite both kingdoms against a terrifying enemy that threatens to destroy both realms.
But how can a young slave and a peasant bring sworn enemies of half a millennium together?

ONCE WE WERE KINGS: The first book in a saga of destiny and redemption, in a world of dying hope.

About Ian Alexander:

You may know me by my good twin (what does that make me?) Joshua Graham, to whom I bear a striking resemblance though I’d contend that by far, I am the more handsome.  Though we exist in different realms, our lives, accomplishments and sojourns have run parallel courses throughout time.

For expediency’s sake, here is my twin’s bio.  In the future, as the roads of our travels diverge, I shall update this page with more Ian Alexander-specific information.

JOSHUA GRAHAM

(Ian Alexander’s good twin)

Award winning writer Joshua Graham’s #1 bestselling novel (Barnes & Noble ebooks) BEYOND JUSTICE is taking the world by storm, one reader at a time. Many of his readers blame him for sleepless nights, arriving to work late, neglected dishes and family members, and not allowing them to put the book down.

BEYOND JUSTICE, THE ACCIDENTAL EXORCIST, THE ACCIDENTAL HERO, THE ACCIDENTAL HEALER, and DEATH AND TAXES, have reached the top of multiple bestseller list on Barnes & Noble topping titles by John Grisham, Linda Fairstein, Scott Turrow and James Lee Burke, Ted Dekker and Steven James. Soaring to the top of the Barnes & Noble lists, BEYOND JUSTICE recently hit #1 in the Legal Thriller and Christian Thriller categories, topping by John Grisham, Joel C. Rosenberg, and Michael Connelly.  It has also remained on the Amazon.com top 100 bestselling Kindle bestseller list months after its release.

Suspense Magazine listed BEYOND JUSTICE in its BEST OF 2010, alongside titles by Scott Turrow, Ted Dekker, Steven James and Brad Thor.

Publishers Weekly described BEYOND JUSTICE as:

“…A riveting legal thriller…. breaking new ground with a vengeance… demonically entertaining and surprisingly inspiring.”

Under a different pen name, Joshua has been published in three Simon & Schuster anthologies. He’s a graduate of the Oregon Professional Writers Masterclass run by Dean Wesley Smith and Kristine Kathryn Rusch.

Joshua Graham grew up in Brooklyn, NY where he lived for the better part of 30 years. He holds a Bachelor and Master’s Degree and went on to earn his doctorate from Johns Hopkins University.   During his time in Maryland, he taught as a professor at Shepherd College (WV), Western Maryland College, and Columbia Union College (MD).

Today he lives with his beautiful wife and children in Southern California.  Several of Graham’s short fiction works have been published by Pocket Books and Dawn Treader Press.

BEYOND JUSTICE is now available in Trade Paperback through Amazon.com as well as Barnes and Noble.  It’s available at the Kindle store for $2.99 for a limited time, and can be purchased for other ebook readers at Smashwords.  It is also available for the iPad, SONY E-Reader and Nook.

A member of the Oregon Writers Network, Graham is a graduate of the Master Classes and professional writing workshops held by Dean W. Smith and Kristine Kathryn Rusch.  Dean and Kris and the entire OWN, have been a major influence in his career.