Friday, August 12, 2016

Blog Tour: First Circle Club by @AlexSiegel_ #interview



Supernatural Fantasy
Date Published: September 25, 2015


When Virgil is betrayed and murdered, he thinks his days of catching fugitives as a U.S. Marshal are over. He is condemned to an eternity of filing paperwork in the First Circle of Hell. Then a demon lord gives Virgil an unprecedented assignment. He will return to Earth as part of a team: two souls from Heaven and two from Hell. They must stop another damned soul who escaped and is now murdering teenagers on Earth. The serial killer has supernatural skills and is part of a larger conspiracy which is well prepared for a fight. If he is not careful, Virgil could be murdered a second time.



Purchase Link


Interview

Is There a Message in Your Novel That You Want Readers to Grasp?

My latest series, the First Circle Club series, poses a lot of questions about the afterlife and the human soul. I want my readers to think seriously about the choices they make and what the consequences might be. But don't think that the books are heavy with philosophy. The stories are fun and fast-moving with some Big Questions sprinkled in as spice.



Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?

Proofreading is the hardest part. It is tedious, painstaking, and very time consuming. I love the thrill and excitement of the first draft. The grind of the final draft is a bummer by comparison.


How many books have you written and which is your favorite?

I've published 22 books, and I'm working on number 23. I'm proud of all my stuff, but I've definitely refined my writing skills as I went along. My most recent book, Trolling Heaven, is my best in terms of technique. It weaves a complicated story in a very fluid, natural way. The language is varied and polished.

The book I feel most emotional about is the fifth book in the Gray Spear Society series, called Deadly Weakness. As far as I'm concerned, it was my first truly great work of fiction.


If You had the chance to cast your main character from Hollywood today, who would you pick and why?

I used Tommy Lee Jones as the model for my main character, Virgil. I find that using real movie stars helps me visualize when I'm writing.



When did you begin writing?

I read voraciously when I was young, and some of the stuff I read wasn't very good. I often thought, "I can do better." I didn't take writing seriously until I had a motorcycle accident when I was 25. That scary experience woke me up. I realized that I had to start working on my life goals, and one of them was becoming a successful novelist. I've been honing my craft ever since.



How long did it take to complete your first book?

It's been too many years, and I don't really remember, but I expect it took me about a year. As my skills as a writer have improved, I've become more prolific. These days, I need two months to produce the first draft of a novel. I publish every four months.



Did you have an author who inspired you to become a writer?

I'm a big fan of Terry Pratchett and Isaac Asimov, but it was the bad writers who actually inspired me. I knew I could write better than them and be a success.



What is your favorite part of the writing process?

The first draft. I love the freedom of filling in a big, blank canvas.



Describe your latest book in 4 words.

The afterlife is crumbling.



Can you share a little bit about your current work or what is in the future for your writing?

I'm currently writing Hell's Wrath, the fifth book in a series. I hope to publish in September or October. The series begins with First Circle Club, and the other books are Paradise Hacked, Gambling Demons, and Trolling Heaven. All are available on Amazon.


The idea behind the series is that trouble is brewing in Heaven and Hell. It will take a special team of human souls to unravel the deadly mysteries. Some scenes take place in the afterlife, but most of the action happens in present day Chicago. The books are a unique blend of modern detective fiction and medieval religious fantasy.




Alex Siegel has written three series, full of hellish scenarios and diabolical plot twists. The First Circle Club is the first book in his latest series. He is a computer programmer by day and a passionate, even obsessive, writer by night. He lives in Chicago with his wife and triplet teenage boys. A gray cat and two guinea pigs complete the menagerie.

Contact Information
Twitter: @AlexSiegel_

Series Reading Order:
First Circle Club
Paradise Hacked
Gambling Demons
Trolling Heaven (Coming Soon)

1 comment:

Em said...

Thank you for posting

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