Growing up in communist Poland on a diet of powdered milk, “Lord of the Rings” and soviet science-fiction, he had his first story published at the ripe age of eight. After years of bouncing around Polish universities, he moved to London in 2007 and started writing in English. Now lives in Edinburgh, hoping for an independent Scotland.
His debut historical fantasy novel, “The Shadow of Black Wings“, has reached Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award semi-finals in 2012. “The Year of the Dragon” saga sold over 30,000 copies worldwide.
His new historical fiction saga, “The Song of Ash” has been on top of Amazon’s Bestseller lists in UK for months.
Connect with James:
Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads | Bookbub | Wattpad | Quora
When did you first call yourself a writer?
Back in primary school, when I got my first short stories published in a magazine. Never stopped since then!
How did you come up with the idea to write your book, The Flying Barons of Negriponte?
I was inspired by the true story of the Hexarchy of Negroponte, and of the Latin Empire of which the Hexarchy was a part of. A fascinating period in medieval history, when the Western Crusaders took control of the Byzantine Empire and carved it among themselves, only to then descend into internecine conflicts, leaving them vulnerable to reconquest by the Byzantine remnants.
What was the most difficult part of the writing process for your book?
Keeping the port and starboard sides right! There's a lot of sailing lingo I had to keep in my head, crucial for a book about sky-faring sailing ships.
Which of your characters do you relate more to and why?
Marco, the main character's oldest and best friend - a little clever guy sitting in the corner, doing his own stuff and watching others perform the heroic feats.
If you could spend a day with your main character, where would you go and what would you do?
I'd go hiking in the mountains of Euboea Island, pick some wild pine honey and eat some goat cheese.
Since this is the first in The Aether Empire series, when will we be seeing book 2?
Sometime next year, fingers crossed!
How would you describe your book’s ideal reader?
Someone who's into medieval history, and travel and food.
No comments:
Post a Comment