Hey guys, and happy Wednesday! Today I am thrilled to be sharing another author interview with you - this time with Aydin Guner, author of The Devil in I, a fast-paced, modern day thriller set in New York City in which the main character is, literally, the devil in disguise. Described as ‘a modern day American Psycho’ we follow the life of the good looking, rich and charming Damon West as he indulges in whatever he wishes, drugs, sex, violence, and increasingly struggles to maintain a life on earth.
Intrigued? Check out the blurb here...
Damon West is a twenty-eight-year old living in New York City. His life appears to be perfect. He has a loving girlfriend, good friends, lots of money and a job on Wall Street, everything a young man could ask for.
For centuries, Damon has roamed the Earth enjoying everything the human world has to offer. Sex, entertainment, travel, new discoveries and more sex. Damon's life appears to be perfect but takes an unexpected turn when he meets a co-worker, Latasha Holmes.
Damon is suddenly submerged in a spiralling obsession with Latasha that he can’t control. She plays him for the fool. For all his charms, Damon is unable to deal with those emotions. Is it love, or is it obsession?
Whilst Damon’s world starts to spiral out of control, we start to question who Latasha Holmes really is. Is she aware of her actions? Was this all part of a higher plan? Has she been conspiring with the suspicious new boss, Jason Godfrey?
In The Devil in I, Damon faces the ultimate battle to hold on to everything he has: his job, his reputation, his girlfriend, and his life.
Today I am lucky enough to have Aydin on my blog, to talk all things New York, writing inspiration and what he finds fascinating about the idea of the devil...
I’ve always been fascinated with the idea
of a Heaven and a Hell, a God and a Devil. As a youngster I obsessed over books
like Paradise Lost, Dantes Inferno and Dr Faustus. In the scriptures, they
believe the Devil walks among us as a ‘beautiful man’, so I was always
fascinated with what that would look like and how that would be.
The book also touches on themes of
unrequited love which is weaved throughout the whole story. Damon’s life falls
apart when he can’t get the girl he wants. I think in some way, we can all
relate to that.
Tell us a bit more about Damon West. Do
you have anything in common with him?
Damon is the perfect man. He is good at
everything, he is intelligent, extremely charming, very funny, witty, has a 6th
sense, can fake empathy. On the surface, you would never suspect he is the
Devil. However, he is also extremely despicable. He cares for no one, he has no
identifiable human emotion except for rage, jealousy and lust. And he does some
terrible things. But, throughout all of this, he is likeable. You root for him
because, well, he’s just too manipulative - you can’t dislike him, even after
everything he does.
That was the challenge with this
character. Having the lead character being the master of deception, you needed
to be invested in him, you need to be behind him, and I think that’s been
achieved. The crux of it is, he’s so good at being evil, you don’t even notice
he’s being evil.
I’m not sure if I have anything in common
with Damon. Maybe there’s a part of us all in him. I like coffee, which I wrote
into the story and there is one interaction which is based on a real
conversation, but, nope, other than that he is 100% fiction.
What made you want to write about the
devil living in the middle of modern day New York City?
I wanted to have a backdrop that was
attractive and luring for the story. I think any story based in New York
instantly makes it cool. There’s lots of scope for good scenes in good
locations in the City. Wall Street was a key driver with the location. Damon is
an exceptional trader - although in the book he is a mergers and acquisitions
manager, he is a well known name on Wall Street. The global influence Wall
Street has on the world, it’s the epicentre of capitalism and the symbolism of
greed. Fitting for a devil.
What advice would you offer aspiring
writers?
I’d say for your first book just take your
time. Write about something which is important to you, and make sure it’s a
story you really want to tell. There is going to be days when you don’t want to
write, weeks will go by where you’re not interested in writing your story - which
is perfectly normal, but if it’s a story you’re really excited about then those
times will be less.
I’d also suggest not trying to write to an
audience. Write for your own creative need. If you try to be the next JK
Rowling or someone then your story is at risk of being diluted and insincere.
Be true to yourself. Readers will hopefully fall in love with your own unique
style, so don’t be afraid to be yourself.
Thirdly, paint a picture with your words.
What you’re imagining in your head needs to be conveyed and translated so the
person reading it also sees the same thing. Control the imagery with your writing,
and if you want the reader to use their imagination, you can purposely hold off
on some detail to allow the reader to fill those gaps.
Exhilarating, Sexy, Unexpected.
Thank you so much, Aydin, for appearing on my blog!
Buy The Devil in I here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Devil-I-Aydin-Guner/dp/1544089279/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1507114544&sr=8-1&keywords=aydin+guner+the+devil+in+i
Check out Aydin Guner here: http://www.aydinguner.com
Until next time :)
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