When did you realize that you wanted to become a writer?
I think I’ve always known I would
become a writer eventually. It’s when I turned 28 that I gave myself a deadline
and decided I’d better start publishing by the time I became 30 or else. As a
result, my first short story was published on my 30th birthday
anniversary.
Is being an Author all you dreamed of, or did it just happen?
The best and worst thing about it?
When I started to work towards
achieving this goal, I didn’t have a clear idea of what an author really was
supposed to do other than the actual writing. And then it sort of happened,
people recognized my name, knew my stories, while I still didn’t feel like a
writer as I was only in the beginning of this journey. The best part is when I
get positive feedback on my stories. The worst is the waiting because when I
finish the final draft of a story, I want to give it to my readers right away
and that, of course, isn’t possible.
What was the very first thing you ever wrote?
I think it happened the same summer
over twenty years ago, so I’m not sure which came first, but I co-wrote a sci
fi novella with my cousin and rewrote the ending of a five book YA series.
What made you create The Impaler Legacy? How did it come to you?
There was this whole vampire trend
on the book market, and having spent my childhood in Transylvania, it bothered
me to have them constantly associated with Vlad The Impaler. So I wrote a story
that wasn’t YA, wasn’t erotica, and in which the Romanians weren’t the bad
guys.
Who is your literary hero?
Is it bad of me to say I don’t have
one? The thing is I find interesting characters in every book I read, so my
preference changes over time.
How much of your characters are based on your traits or
someone you know personally?
I don’t base my characters on
people I know. Sure, they tend to have some of my traits because it’s easier to
relate to them this way, but I usually give them traits that I admire in people
in general and not in someone in particular.
Describe your main character in six words.
Dedicated,
loyal, smart, strong, determined, conflicted.
Describe the world you’ve created in six words.
Modern, realistic, dangerous,
exotic, corrupted, vampire-free
What scene was your favorite to write?
Any of the emotionally charged
scenes, I just love writing those.
What scene was the hardest for you to write?
Oddly enough, it’s never the ending
but the scenes coming right before that.
What are you working on now?
I’m close to finishing a novel in
my upcoming Broken People series. It deals with a heist and an unusual crew of
circus people.
Goals? Accomplishments?
Improvements?
Releasing the Broken People series
and finishing a fantasy trilogy is the next goal on the list. The Impaler
Legacy is out so I guess that goes as an accomplishment along with being
awarded the Encouragement Award by the European Science Fiction Society at
Eurocon 2013. And I’m constantly working on improving my craft, so there’s that
too.
Are
there any authors or books you recommend?
I’m quite taken with Brandon
Sanderson’s works at the moment. I also enjoyed James S. A. Corey’s The Expanse
series, and Andy Weir’s The Martian. As for something special, I recommend The
Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon.
What's your favorite thing to do when you're not writing?
I love to explore foreign cities.
When that’s not possible, a book will do.
