Wednesday 4 October 2017

AUTHOR INTERVIEW | 5 Minutes with Aydin Guner, author of 'The Devil in I'

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.

However, Damon has a secret. Damon is the Devil.


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.

The Devil in I is part American Psycho and part Dantes Inferno. This fast paced, sexy, violent and modern day thriller is the ultimate story of Good vs Evil and unrequited love. Based in New York City, The Devil in I is not for the faint hearted.

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...

What was the inspiration behind The Devil in I?

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.
 
Sum up The Devil In I in 3 words!

Exhilarating, Sexy, Unexpected.

Thank you so much, Aydin, for appearing on my blog!


Check out Aydin Guner here: http://www.aydinguner.com
 



Until next time :)



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