I’m pleased to welcome back author Tamara Lakomy, who visited us in February and March with her new book.
Author name: T.M Lakomy (Tamara Lakomy)
What first prompted you to publish your work? The characters have been germinating in my mind for years, I was always enamoured with ancient religions, specifically how they mirrored each other. The insatiable desire of humanity for a messiah has influenced civilisation to a much larger extent than we believe. The desire to believe we are god’s children and precious souls is the core of our religious identity, and I wanted to challenge the blind dogma.
What have you found the most challenging part of the process? Not getting carried away with delving deep into the characters back stories and anecdotes, it is difficult not to fall so far in love with your characters that you could abandon the plot just to discover them further.
What are your views on authors commenting on reviews? I think it is very important for authors to support each other, because authors understand how hard the process is, and how much love and labour we have bled into the process.
Sort these into order of importance:
Great characters
Good plot
Awesome world-building
Technically perfect
How much research do you do for your work? What’s the wildest subject you’ve looked at? I have immersed myself since I was young in the old folklore and my academic archaeology studies merely furthered my curiosity.
At the wilder ends of my studies, the process of decomposition of a body, as in my second book I tackle necromancy magic.
How influential is storytelling to our culture? In my culture storytelling has been the backbone of our society. It has been the passed down wisdom and storytelling that has kept the spirit of my people alive through conflict, colonialism and revolutions. Stories bear the collective memory and moral code of a people.
If you could be any fantasy/mythical or legendary person/creature what would you be and why? Galadriel. I would have done more to mitigate against Sauron in the early stages. To be the voice of reason in Feanor’s life.
What is your writing space like? Cats lounging around happily, plenty of white wine, fluffy cushions and a view onto our garden. A desk littered with books and all sorts of random stuff.
Tell us about your latest piece? Sol Invictus – The power struggle between the Cult of the Sun King, seeking Apotheosis; man becoming God, aided by his faithful followers the Silver Brigade, to find his soul a vessel and the Shrine; the indigenous tribal magicians whose hoarded relics hold djinns powerful enough to thin the veil between life and death, holding the key to the forbidden necromantic Arts.
The impediment to the Sun King’s plan is the enigmatic Narya, a crime lord who forsook her guild education and the Shrine’s protection, shrouding her identity in mystery, and Maxilan the deadliest lieutenant called also the “White Devil”. Maxilan discovers his draw to Narya to be the fulfilment of his destiny; also his demise, resulting in him facing the reality of his purpose, the eugenics program that created him.
What’s your next writing adventure? Voice of the gods. As a writer I have pushed myself to my limits. I think it will be the most controversial work I have written.
Is there a message in your books? To encourage people to delve into their subconscious. I am questioning the roots of people’s beliefs and the identities that are predicated on those dogmas. Institutions and morality codes are built around creeds that have evolved from far more ancient sources.
How important is writing to you? It keeps my sanity in a world that does not make sense to me.
Bio
I am T. M Lakomy (Tamara Lakomy). I was born in London, but grew up as a tribal girl in a North African repressive regime. I spent my childhood between the slums of Mellasine and the affluent neighbourhoods in Tunis.
I studied archaeology and became enamoured with the shamanistic practices of indigenous people.
I am an author and poet who seeks to challenge our notions of reality, and see life with a different perspective.
I work in East Africa with indigenous tribes studying the origins of mankind and the salient golden thread in the tapestry of humanity’s beliefs.
Links:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RedFernManor/?ref=aymt_homepage_panel
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15558568.T_M_Lakomy
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Shadow_Crucible
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Shadow-Crucible-Blind-God/dp/1590794141
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-shadow-crucible-t-m-lakomy/1124245404?ean=9781590794142
Library of Erana 