Matt Xell is author of Tower of Parlen Min. His book is also touring as of now we have a nice interview set up for you. Read on to learn of Matt Xell, the author and his books.
About The Book
The Reviews
At Goodreads.com
Matt Xell, The Author
Matt Xell is a writer based in Zambia, Africa. TOWER OF PARLEN MIN is his debut novel and the first in a series of six books featuring Ves Asirin. It is an Urban fantasy/adventure epic that will appeal to young adult readers aged 14 to 18.
Author Interview
The Book & Movie Dimension Blogger: Tell readers why they would want to read your books?
Matt Xell (The Author): Tower of Parlen Min is quite different from anything you've ever read but is like everything you've ever read, and that's the catch. It's a mash-up of several of the best sub-genres in speculative fiction. It has elements of fantasy, sci-fi, action, drama, mystery, suspense, thriller, paranormal and horror. It's a literary roller-coaster that'll keep you hooked to the end if you're an adrenaline junkie like me. It's not for the faint of heart though; it may read like an MG novel because the characters are young ... but don't be fooled.
It's the story of Ves Asirin, a very introverted, anti-social and somewhat cynical boy with a memory loss disorder who travels to the Tower which for him turns out to be this grand and awesome place which 'brings him to life' for the first time ever. And he has so many expriences there; he makes new friends and as well deadly enemies; he solves many intriguing mysteries and takes part in many thrilling adventures; he experiences first love .... And he experiences all these other terrible things, like violence, murder, death and evil ... and most importantly he learns who he really is.
The Book & Movie Dimension Blogger: Now moving beyond your books. Tell us do you write all the time and where are your favorite places?
Matt Xell (The Author): I write whenever I get the time, which is less and less these days I dunno why, maybe because of marketing this first book, lol. But whenever I can spare a free thought, I'm pretty much plotting and building stories, usally expanding on the Ves Asirin project, which has been all consuming for the past 5 years of my life. I'm not very partial to any places to write. I'll write anywhere so long as its peaceful and I've got all the resources I need. The only time absolute solitude is a must is when I'm writing major scenes like the mystery/suspense parts. Also I'd say I'm night-time writer.
The Book & Movie Dimension Blogger: Do you know any other writers and if so without mentioning names, what do they write about?
Matt Xell (The Author): Umm, one of my editors, is working on something with a friend of hers actually; It's an adult comedy/romance novel I think. My other editor, runs the Zambian version of the popular street newspaper called The Big Issue, which is also pretty cool.
The Book & Movie Dimension Blogger: You live in Zambia, Africa. Does it feel exotic there and does that give you inspiration to write?
Matt Xell (The Author): I'm very ebarassed to say that I've lived in a major sub-urban area of the capital city, Lusaka, all my life. It's quite mordern, albeit a little quaint and somewhat backwards. I've never even been to the Victoria Falls which is the country's most famous landmark ... shocking, I know. Most of the influences for my writing are from western and far eastern parts of the world. It's strange but I've never attempted to write a story set in Africa yet. I liked how the movie District 9 was done, so I might do something like that except with fantasy or paranormal elements instead of Sci-Fi.
The Book & Movie Dimension Blogger: Your debut book, Matt, is in a series, have you started on your second book already?
Matt Xell (The Author): I've started plotting the second Ves Asirin book, but I haven't written a single chapter because there's still a lot of marketing to be done for the first book. And there's other stories I have to write like Eslo's Story, The Hunt For Majis, and The Brothers Macullen which are light-novels I plan on releasing before the second Ves Asirin Book.
The second book is called Eclipse Over Atuwis Wood. It will be all about Ves understanding what it means to be a Kero'ei. He'll be doing loads of training with his master, Eslo, and the secretive Seven. They'll be a lot more action, suspense and twists. Ves' Dark Teenage Girl and the new Shadow Ops will be making an appearance but she (and the Shadow) will not be playing a bigger role in the main story. They'll be some new and interesting supporting characters ( many of whom we'll be introduced in the light novels that I'm working on) although the cast will be a lot smaller than TPM's. Also, because of the larger scale of the plot and setting, the story will be told from multiple points of views though, of course, it will focus more on Ves. The Eclipse in the title does not reffer to either a Lunar or Solar eclipse. And it'll have a lot less darker and happier ending.
The Book & Movie Dimension Blogger: Tell the readers anything like where to connect with you or your books? Last advice?
Matt Xell (The Author): I had to take down the main Ves Asirin website for a bit so I'm using the Tower of Parlen Min Facebook Page and The Matt Xell Blog as my headquaters. You can follow me on Twitter using the handle @mattxell or friend me on Facebook using the url: facebook.com/mattxell.
Last advice? Don't self-publish ... that's not a joke :)
Get the Book? Amazon.com | Goodreads
Giveaway
That has been Matt Xell.
Readers always feel free to comment, vent, or ramble. I know I do on a great many blogs I visit.
