AUTHOR Q&A & GIVEAWAY: Incandescence by Elena Leman
Incandescence by Elena Leman
Author: Elena Leman
Published: November 9th, 2020
Genre: Adult Fantasy // Metaphysical Fantasy
SYNOPSIS:
In thousands of years of my astral travels, I’d never needed a companion. But he found a way to ingrain himself in my every brain cell, my every goosebump, my every trembling breath… His darkness is the answer to my light.
Orobella is a cosmic wanderer, living borrowed lives in borrowed bodies. Her mission on planet Instaar is the same as always—collecting Crystals of Emotions while having as much fun as her new physical form allows, no strings attached. But once she meets the hypnotically mysterious Sambor, both her body and soul yearn for more. She makes him an offer he can't refuse.
In the world where creatures of death and darkness drive men mad, emotional detachment has been Sambor's greatest life achievement. As the future leader of the Lasota tribe and a spiritual tattoo artist, he can't afford the luxury of mental weakness. Yet his meticulously constructed equilibrium is shaken up when an alluring nymph promises to save his baby sister, in exchange for a sacred Lasota tattoo. He can't say no. Even if that means his demons will get the best of him.
Steeped in mysticism, elemental magic, and sensual vibrations, this romantic fantasy is more than a love story. It’s a journey through a soul.
PREORDER
Amazon US https://amzn.to/3j9oQuM Amazon UK https://amzn.to/2S6rK7y Amazon AU https://amzn.to/30choaA Amazon CA https://amzn.to/338mfeV Smashwords https://bit.ly/33cVsOO Barnes & Noble https://bit.ly/3d0DfqU Kobo https://bit.ly/34vNv6I Apple Books https://apple.co/2GE7IPx
Today I’m celebrating the release of a new Indie book that was released today. I think the author provided some honest, thoughtful answers below and I hope you enjoy reading it!
Q&A WITH ELENA
Hi Elena, thank you so much for joining the blog today to discuss Incandescence! We are looking forward to reading the book and was so happy you agreed on this Q&A and being our first ever author to join us.
1. What inspired you to write?
I have been writing ever since I can remember—poetry, essays, short stories. Any angst or pain I felt as a teen was easily resolved by pouring it onto paper. It hurt less when it was transformed into something tangible and beautiful.
Determined to travel the world, I left my native Poland in my early twenties and I lived in a different country every year. After some time, the urge to share my adventures and life lessons with the world made me write it all down. That’s how my first novel, Happy Ever(ywhere) After, came about. Loosely based on my life in Turkey, Costa Rica, Colombia, Hong Kong, Malaysia, and Thailand, it tells the story of a slightly lost twenty-something, trying to understand her role in the world.
Incandescence, my latest fantasy romance, was born out of heartbreak I experienced two years ago. I lived in Brazil at the time and my entire world seemed to crumble into pieces. I moved back to Poland, to my parents’ house, and spent the entire winter in bed, miserable. The only thing that kept me sane was writing and, oh well, my mom’s pierogi. I wrote Incandescence in three months and when I finished it, it felt as if I were reborn. I woke up from my hibernation and left my cave with a manuscript in my hand. The time to share it with the world has finally come.
2. How would you describe your writing style/genre?
Emotional, visual, and poetic. I write a story as if I were watching a movie, observing the scenes play out on the screen of my mind, and noting down what I see and feel. Writing (and reading) a novel is an emotional journey for me. I love to focus on sensations and connect words in unusual ways.
Happy Ever(ywhere) After is a literary read, steeped in magical realism and self-reflection. As for Incandescence, you could either call it a fantasy romance or romantic fantasy as it intertwines both genres in equal measure, spicing it up with some metaphysical and sci-fi topics. Whatever I write, it’s always intense, otherworldly, and humorous at the same time.
3. What time of the day is best for you as a writer?
For some inexplicable reason, I’m the most creative at night, especially between midnight and three or four am. I’ve tried to train myself into writing during the day but it was a futile attempt. I would spend hours on one page, my thoughts scattered like dandelion fluff. I could only focus when the world around me fell asleep. There’s something mystical about the night. It’s as if the muses are determined to come down from their astral plane to talk to us mortals only when we truly listen, without getting distracted by our mundane worries and chores. They demand our absolute attention. It’s all or nothing for them.
4. Did you always want to be a writer?
Yes, ever since I could read and write. Eventually, I was talked out of that eccentric idea when the time to choose a university course came. I took a safer path and obtained an MA in languages and a teaching qualification. But the desire to turn my imagined worlds into real ones—living, breathing, and entertaining people from book pages or kindle screens—was gnawing at my soul, preventing me from feeling fulfilled. The need to write for real, not only for myself, was stronger than me.
5. Tell me one thing hardly anyone knows about you?
There are so many things people already know about me since my first novel was a semi-memoir! But let me try to intrigue you… I have three tattoos and all of them are featured in Incandescence. Now, guess what they are. :)
6. What are you working on now, and when can we expect it?
I’m on the verge of publishing my fantasy romance, Incandescence, on Nov 9. It’s the first installment in the Shadowlight series and can be read as a standalone. I’m focusing my energy on the launch at the moment while revising my notes for Book Two. The story is haunting me day and night. I just can’t wait to go back to planet Instaar and follow Orobella’s and Smoku’s adventures, laugh at Damdamin’s shenanigans, and swoon over Sambor’s broody charm.
7. What is your favourite book?
It is impossible to choose only one, but I guess, The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho is still the book that has left the biggest mark on me. I read it as a teen, when metaphysical concepts were still a novelty to me, so it unraveled a whole new and mysterious world before my eyes. I love reading stories of quests where the protagonists overcome internal and external difficulties, find love and life purpose, and go through a major transformation.
8. What do you like to do when you're not writing?
Before the pandemic, you would catch me dancing salsa or kizomba in clubs in Lisbon, kicking the guts out of a punching bag in Muay Thai classes, or backpacking to a new exotic destination. At the moment, life is a bit less intense. When I am not writing, I am teaching English online or in socially distanced classrooms, I enjoy jogging by the river Tagus, doing yoga on my kitchen floor, or having a sunset sangria with my friends.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Elena Leman is a traveler, poet, English teacher, and the author of Happy Ever(ywhere) After and Shadowlight series. Her twelve years of expat life in Turkey, Costa Rica, Colombia, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Thailand, Italy, Brazil, and Portugal filled her imagination with magic, adventure, and a bit of drama--all the essential ingredients for a pageturner.
Currently, she’s living in Lisbon, Portugal. When she’s not writing, you can catch her kicking the guts out of a punching bag, finding her zen in meditation, swaying her hips to kizomba beats, or strolling along the Portuguese cliffs.
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GIVEAWAY – WIN A COPY OF INCANDESCENCE
To celebrate the release of Incandescence, we are giving away TWO copies of Incandescence to two lucky winners! One physical copy and one ebook. The giveaway is being hosted on Instagram:
The winners will be announced on my Instagram stories and will need to respond within 48 hours. We take no responsibility for lost or stolen packages. Ends November 16th.
SNEAK PEAK
Listen to the first chapter of Incandescence, it'll give you a window into how Elena sees her characters.
