Welcome to the book tour for Thea Reeves and the Tear of the Morning Star by Dmitriy Kushnir! Today he tells us a lot more about his book and himself in this interview. Please feel free to ask him even more questions in the comments section, or just let him know what you think about what he has to say and his book. And then visit the stops on the rest of the tour for even more!
Describe your book in one sentence or fewer than 25 words.
There is great potential hidden within each individual, very few are able to unlock that potential.
What was the inspiration behind this book?
I wanted to create a series of books with a female lead, which my daughter would be interested in reading. So far I have succeeded.
What kind of research did you have to do for it?
None, all came from my imagination. I only had to use a random name generator for some of the names of the characters.
Which character was your favorite to write?
I really enjoy writing about the raven in the book, and not only in the first book of the series, but in every book of the series so far, and I just completed book 4 of the series.
To which character did you relate the most?
If I had to choose to be one of the characters of the book, I’d most likely be Frank. I can even say that I partially based Frank on myself.
What was one of your favorite scenes?
My favorite scene in the first book, is when Thea is introduced to the raven. I will not give any spoilers, but this scene is very emotional. It is somewhat predictable, but the way it unfolds, it is still surprising.
Will we see these characters again?
Yes! I have already written books 2, 3 and 4 of the Thea Reeves series, and plan to have at least 9 books in the series.
Which of your book worlds would you like to visit?
I do my best in order to base all of the worlds in my books as close as possible to the actual world we live in. There is a saying that my Ancestors had, that everything we can possibly imagine actually exists somewhere in one of the Universes.
Who would be your dream narrator for the audio book version?
Ha! If I could choose anyone to narrate this book, I’d have to choose Gerald Butler. He has one of those voices that draws people in.
Why should we read your book?
Because that long commute to work is just too boring without a good book in your hand!
What do you hope people will get out of your book?
That nothing is what it seems and just as a book cannot be judged by its cover, no individual can be judged based on appearance, age or gender.
Tell us about your other published works.
I have published many books and many magazines over the years. Some of them are fiction, some are non-fiction, but my focus always lies in the development of the imagination of the reader. It is also the reason why I do not add images to most of my works. Once I’ve added an image, I just successfully killed the reader’s imagination.
On what are you currently working?
I am currently finalizing Thea Reeves book 4, which I don’t even have the title for yet. Once I have published this, I will move onto book 5, which will be about (spoiler!) Thea Reeves and the Dwarves.
What does your upcoming release schedule look like?
Because summer is over and school year has begun, my focus lies on family first and on writing second. If I have free time, I will continue to write the Thea Reeves series. I want to have at least 9 books of the series published before 2020.
What is your writing routine?
In one word – improvisation! I write when I can. I don’t have a set time, when I sit down to write, there is just too much going on in my life outside of writing to be able to do that. I am a full time father, I also have 3 internet shops and several YouTube channels.
What is the best writing advice you ever received?
“Just keep doing what you’re doing and DO NOT pay attention to REVIEWS!”
Who is your writing muse?
I have 2: my wife and my daughter. I once left on a business trip, and haven’t written a single word during this separation, although I had plenty of free time. Once I returned, I resumed writing.
What is your favorite part about writing?
I get to share my view of the world with others, and on occasion, someone’s view of the world is so similar to mine, that those individuals find a way to contact me and sometimes readers become friends.
What is your least favorite part about writing?
My least favorite part is also the most necessary part, and that is editing. I really don’t like editing, but I realize that without editing my writing would be very flat. For me, editing doesn’t really have anything to do with grammatical errors (spell checker takes care of most of that), but has everything to do with logical and creative errors, and I tend to catch a few of those during my first editing check and then during the second.
What are you currently reading? Up next on your TBR?
Just whatever the Universe guides me to. I do not have a specific list. The book I am currently reading is about mushrooms and their healing properties. I came across this book completely by accident, just happened to set in on a lecture and meet the author.
What book and/or author changed your life?
I’d have to say “The Secret History of the World”. The book itself is crap, but it is a collection of very good facts with very wrong “author interpretations and explanations” of those facts. So if a reader is able to read the book, but not really read into it, I’d highly recommend it.
When not writing, what can we find you doing?
Well, since I live a kind of “hermit” lifestyle, I highly doubt you’ll be able to find me at all. But as I stated before, besides writing, I am also a full time father and a business owner. I am also currently searching for a new career path, so job hunting takes a lot of time as well.
What is one skill you wish you had?
Computer programming, but I neither have the patience nor the desire to learn and constantly relearn this skill.
If you could have any superpower, what would it be?
Destruction! I’d most likely be a villain in everyone’s eyes, rather than a hero. However, nothing can be created unless something is destroyed.
If you could meet one person living or dead, who would it be and why?
Tsar Peter the 1st, the fake one, after he returned from Scandinavia, so I could punch him in the face a few dozen times.
Let’s say I’m coming for a visit to your area. What are some must-see places?
Star cities of Ukraine, these are ancient castles hidden in plain sight.
What is something on your bucket list you have accomplished? Want to accomplish?
I don’t have a bucket list, for I do not like to plan long-term. I tell everyone that I will live to be over 144 years, but at the same time I realize I can die in the next 15 minutes. The only plan I have set before myself is to write 100 books in 10 years. It has been 5 years since that day, and I am about half way there.
What would you do if you won the lottery?
Build a historical settlement based on ancient Ancestral Faith, but I’d still keep on writing.
What is something readers may be surprised to learn about you?
I am the mirror of anyone who interacts with me. In other words: those who wish me ill, receive their wish back many times over; those who wish me well, receive their wish back many times over.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
Never judge a person based on appearance. You may meet a deity and not know it. And if you meet a deity and mistreat him … let’s just say … don’t!
Thea Reeves is an ordinary girl, from an ordinary family with financial troubles, living in a small town of Johnston. After she starts an after school job at The Magic Shop in order to help herself financially, her life becomes more extraordinary with every day.
Read an excerpt:
What a strange man. Thea thought to herself, and after a brief pause took the empty coffee cups to the back room and loaded them into the dishwasher. Just after five o'clock The Magic Shop began to fill up with customers. Many went straight for the lounge, while others shopped. Even though Thea found herself constantly running from the register to the lounge to the dishwasher and back to the register, she did not feel tired at all ... she felt energized. She even had a few very interesting conversations with several patrons of The Magic Shop. All of whom welcomed the new girl and wanted her to know how happy they were to meet her. Just as the evening before, everyone was very nice and friendly, no one was upset with her for any reason. Even when Thea accidentally dropped a tray of empty coffee cups and even broke a few. No one laughed, no one made a silly joke. Instead, everyone wanted to know if she was alright, and one man, in his mid twenties, in a suit with a tie, offered to help Thea clean up. He even took a broom from Thea's hand and offered to sweep up, while she helped the customers at the register. This place is magical. Thea thought to herself, just as the rush traffic died down right around seven o'clock. She had about an hour left, before she had to lock up the shop, so she decided to clean up. She felt that it was something she wanted to do, rather than something she had to do. Then, suddenly, as if some invisible force was pulling her, she went into the back room. "Over here..." she suddenly heard, and she did not know whether she heard those words with her ears or with her mind. She should've been frightened, her heart should've been beating wildly in her throat ... but she just casually walked, following the voice.
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Dmitriy Kushnir is a Sarasota, FL local and is a student of life. In his younger years, he had served in the military and received various degrees from multiple universities. One day, Dmitriy Kushnir realized that he had just too much to share with the world and began writing in the fields of philosophy, business, religion, history, fantasy and science fiction. To this day, he has written more than 40 books under various aliases.
https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00OQ1J48I https://www.facebook.com/AuthorDmitriyKushnir/ https://twitter.com/dmitriykushnir https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/10801063.Dmitriy_Kushnir
Dmitriy Kushnir will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
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Thanks for hosting!
Thea Reeves and the Tear of the Morning Star sounds like a wonderful book, thanks for sharing the great post 🙂
Sounds like a great book.
Thanks for hosting.
Thanks very nice blog!