Welcome to our Wednesday Coffee Chat!
Our guest author today is Alexes Razevich. So grab your favorite drink, pull up a chair, and settle in for a few minutes of book talk.
Ally: It's so nice to meet you, Alexes. What may I get you to drink?
AR: I drink coffee—and lots of it—with almond milk.
Ally: Perfect. While I fill our mugs, please tell readers about your background.
Bio:
I was born in New York, NY, but have lived in California since I was two. I have a degree in creative writing from California State University San Francisco. I spent a decade working on the fringes of the electronics industry, including a stint as director of marketing for a major conference and exposition company and as an editor for Electronic Engineering Times until I returned to my first love—fiction.
I live now in Southern California with my husband and our half Pit Bull, half Siberian husky rescue dog, Rebel.
Something unique/unusual that isn't in my regular bio: “I didn’t publish my first book until I was sixty.”
Author Contacts:
Website: AlexesRazevich.com
Mailing list sign-up: http://eepurl.com/08229
Facebook: Alexes Razevich Author
Twitter: @lxsraz
email: lxsraz@yahoo.com
I was born in New York, NY, but have lived in California since I was two. I have a degree in creative writing from California State University San Francisco. I spent a decade working on the fringes of the electronics industry, including a stint as director of marketing for a major conference and exposition company and as an editor for Electronic Engineering Times until I returned to my first love—fiction.
I live now in Southern California with my husband and our half Pit Bull, half Siberian husky rescue dog, Rebel.
Something unique/unusual that isn't in my regular bio: “I didn’t publish my first book until I was sixty.”
Author Contacts:
Website: AlexesRazevich.com
Mailing list sign-up: http://eepurl.com/08229
Facebook: Alexes Razevich Author
Twitter: @lxsraz
email: lxsraz@yahoo.com
INTERVIEW:
Ally: What type of books can readers expect from an Alexes Razevich novel regarding genres and content ratings?
AR: Urban Fantasy: My Oona Goodlight series (Ice-Cold Death, Barbed Wire Heart, Vulture Moon, Chalice and Blade) would likely be rated R for light sex within a committed relationship.
My upcoming Shay Greene UF series, launching in June, is PG-13. No sex, but a lots of kick-assery. My upcoming young adult urban fantasy, launching in July, is PG-13. No sex but a fair amount of teenaged kick-assery.
Historical Urban Fantasy: The Girl with Stars in her Hair is PG-13. No sex but some violence.
Ally: Where do you get all those story ideas?
AR: Story ideas can come from anywhere. Sometimes the main character simply shows up and demands to have his or her story told.
Sometimes a title will spark a story. That was the case with The Girl with Stars in her Hair. The title hit me while I was in a museum in Amsterdam. On the flight home, I typed the first 8,000 words of the story into my phone. When I got back, I realized the contemporary setting I’d given it was wrong; the story should take place at the close of World War One. Out went those 8,000 words, but the title remained.
Ice-Cold Death was more calculated. I wanted to combine three things I loved in one story: urban fantasy, murder mystery, and hockey. I think the three fit together quite well.
Ally: What do you find most rewarding about a writing career?
AR: I love storytelling. When I was young, I made up bedtime stories for my little sister. As an adult, I’d improvise stories for my children when they were little. My daughter was partial to stories with princesses and My Little Pony. Writing allows me to tell the stories rattling around in my brain.
Ally: Do your characters come to you fully formed with names and backgrounds?
AR: This is an interesting question. Finding the character’s right name is critical for me. Some characters show up and tell me their names right away. Others are not so forthcoming. Until I have a character’s right name, and I might go through half a dozen names before hitting on the correct one, I absolutely can’t write the character. Once I have their true name, their personality becomes clear and their story unfolds. (Ally note: It’s exactly that way for me, but no one has reported the same experience before! Lol)
Ally: Have you written or considered writing in other genres or other forms, such as short stories or screenplays?
AR: When I started publishing, I wrote Science Fiction with a strong fantasy flair. The first series I wrote is set on another planet and all the characters are aliens, with all the main characters being female. It was definitely a challenge to write books without humans. That was a case where the main character, Khe, showed up one day demanding that her story be told. I hope I did her justice.
When I discovered urban fantasy, it was like coming home. All my books had a strong fantasy element, but it wasn’t until The Girl with Stars in her Hair that I added magic to the mix.
With the Oona Goodlight stories, I added murder mystery to the magic.
Each element has its own challenges and rewards.
Ally: What is your favorite social media? Why?
AR: Facebook, absolutely. I love the direct interaction and the back and forth with readers.
Ally: Tell us about your next writing project. Anticipated release date?
AR: I’m currently working on two new projects.
The Shay Greene stories are adult urban fantasy about a slightly magical woman who gets tangled up with goddesses and demigods when she’s hired to recover a stolen pearl necklace. The Mermaid’s Lament will launch in June.
I’m also working on a young adult urban fantasy about a group of magical high school kids living in a world where magic is banned. Heart Mountain Academy: Magic Forbidden will launch in July.
Ally: Let’s see which of the Rapid Fire questions you chose to answer:
AR:
Ally: What type of books can readers expect from an Alexes Razevich novel regarding genres and content ratings?
AR: Urban Fantasy: My Oona Goodlight series (Ice-Cold Death, Barbed Wire Heart, Vulture Moon, Chalice and Blade) would likely be rated R for light sex within a committed relationship.
My upcoming Shay Greene UF series, launching in June, is PG-13. No sex, but a lots of kick-assery. My upcoming young adult urban fantasy, launching in July, is PG-13. No sex but a fair amount of teenaged kick-assery.
Historical Urban Fantasy: The Girl with Stars in her Hair is PG-13. No sex but some violence.
Ally: Where do you get all those story ideas?
AR: Story ideas can come from anywhere. Sometimes the main character simply shows up and demands to have his or her story told.
Sometimes a title will spark a story. That was the case with The Girl with Stars in her Hair. The title hit me while I was in a museum in Amsterdam. On the flight home, I typed the first 8,000 words of the story into my phone. When I got back, I realized the contemporary setting I’d given it was wrong; the story should take place at the close of World War One. Out went those 8,000 words, but the title remained.
Ice-Cold Death was more calculated. I wanted to combine three things I loved in one story: urban fantasy, murder mystery, and hockey. I think the three fit together quite well.
Ally: What do you find most rewarding about a writing career?
AR: I love storytelling. When I was young, I made up bedtime stories for my little sister. As an adult, I’d improvise stories for my children when they were little. My daughter was partial to stories with princesses and My Little Pony. Writing allows me to tell the stories rattling around in my brain.
Ally: Do your characters come to you fully formed with names and backgrounds?
AR: This is an interesting question. Finding the character’s right name is critical for me. Some characters show up and tell me their names right away. Others are not so forthcoming. Until I have a character’s right name, and I might go through half a dozen names before hitting on the correct one, I absolutely can’t write the character. Once I have their true name, their personality becomes clear and their story unfolds. (Ally note: It’s exactly that way for me, but no one has reported the same experience before! Lol)
Ally: Have you written or considered writing in other genres or other forms, such as short stories or screenplays?
AR: When I started publishing, I wrote Science Fiction with a strong fantasy flair. The first series I wrote is set on another planet and all the characters are aliens, with all the main characters being female. It was definitely a challenge to write books without humans. That was a case where the main character, Khe, showed up one day demanding that her story be told. I hope I did her justice.
When I discovered urban fantasy, it was like coming home. All my books had a strong fantasy element, but it wasn’t until The Girl with Stars in her Hair that I added magic to the mix.
With the Oona Goodlight stories, I added murder mystery to the magic.
Each element has its own challenges and rewards.
Ally: What is your favorite social media? Why?
AR: Facebook, absolutely. I love the direct interaction and the back and forth with readers.
Ally: Tell us about your next writing project. Anticipated release date?
AR: I’m currently working on two new projects.
The Shay Greene stories are adult urban fantasy about a slightly magical woman who gets tangled up with goddesses and demigods when she’s hired to recover a stolen pearl necklace. The Mermaid’s Lament will launch in June.
I’m also working on a young adult urban fantasy about a group of magical high school kids living in a world where magic is banned. Heart Mountain Academy: Magic Forbidden will launch in July.
Ally: Let’s see which of the Rapid Fire questions you chose to answer:
AR:
- a. an item on your bucket list – The very top item on my bucket list is to see the aurora borealis
- b. manicure or pedicure – both
- c. high heels or sneakers - Definitely sneakers. Barefoot is even better.
- d. Do you believe in love at first sight? – I absolutely believe in love at first sight. I saw the man who’s been my husband for over forty years across a room and immediately knew we’d be together.
- e. something unique in your handbag (or closet) – How about my garage? hockey gear, skates, and sticks
Ice-Cold Death
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Rating: R
Murder and dark magic aren’t even the worst of it.
Oona Goodlight just wants to get through hockey practice, but a dead body on the ice means practice is canceled. A secret psychic and empath, she is shocked by the brutal death and shocked again when she witnesses the murder—and the killer—in a vision.
When a wizard investigator asks her to use her psychic abilities to find the murderer, she’s pulled into a battle she never wanted to fight against a grudge-holding foe who’s waited a long time to see her dead.
If Harry Potter and Kinsey Millhone had a love child, she would be Oona Goodlight—wicked smart, a bit of a loner, and relentless on the hunt. If you like the perfect combination of murder mystery and the paranormal blended with a dash of romance, you’ll love this new series.
Buy link: getbook.at/ICD
(kindle, Kindle Unlimited, and PB)
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