IT IS OUR PLEASURE TO WELCOME AUTHOR ANDY LEVKOFF,TO MY BOOK ADDICTION AND MORE TODAY…..
MEET AUTHOR ANDY LEVKOFF!!
MBA&M: Andrew, tell our readers about yourself?
ANDREW: I grew up on Long Island in the 1950’s and 1960’s. From my teens to my thirties, I used to think those decades were forgettable in every way: culture, style, cars, politics, fashion, you name it. The older I get, the more nostalgic I become, and now those years are taking on the soft patina of romance, polished with a healthy buffing of “the good old days.” I’ve spent wonderful years in New York City, Vermont and Seattle, and for now have settled north of Phoenix. I have written all my life – when I was 13 I typed a forgettable 40-page space opera novella – but all the rest has been for business … till now.
MBA&M: What if anything where the challenges in writing “The Bow of Heaven”?
ANDREW: Piled on either side of me at this moment are at least 15 reference books about ancient Rome. That, plus a couple of hundred links on Google and a “Novel Notes” document that in itself is 145 pages long – keeping all this alive and organized in my head has been the biggest challenge.
Another, now hopefully resolved, was the size of the project. The idea was to fictionalize the battle of Carrhae (spoiler alert – don’t look it up if you don’t want to know what happens in Book II), first from the Romans’ point of view, then from the Parthians’. When I first sent the manuscript around to the traditional agents and publishers, it was way too long for a first-time, unknown author, about 800 pages. I realized I needed to turn one book into three. The trilogy will probably wind up at around 1,300 pages.
MBA&M: What made you want to write the saga of Alexander?
MBA&M: At first, I was only interested in Marcus Crassus, the richest man in Rome toward the end of the Republic, 80 – 55 BCE. I began writing his story in the third person, occasionally having him interact with the slave who ran his substantial household. The more I wrote, the more I realized Alexander’s story – how he became a slave, how he survived, fell in love, reconciled his new life of bondage, and how he interacted with his master – all this was at least as interesting as what happened to Crassus. He also made the perfect foil for this most powerful of Romans. I rewrote the entire novel from Alexander’s perspective. I hope your readers will agree it was the right way to go.
MBA&M: What are some of your favorite books,movies,authors,interests and your passions?
ANDREW: I love science fiction and any book that has me eagerly turning the page (or swiping the e-reader screen). William Gibson’s Neuromancer was stunning, David Mitchell’s Cloud Atlas I will probably reread at least twice. I also loved Hemingway’s A Moveable Feast, mostly because I’d love to have lived the life – writing novels in all the best Parisian cafés (sans the oceans of alcohol consumed). If you are at all into speculative fiction, try Paolo Bacigalupi’s The Windup Girl. It was so good, I hate him. Other favorites: Kurt Vonnegut, Tom Robbins.
Peter Jackson accomplished the impossible bringing Tolkien to the big screen. Best westerns: Unforgiven and The Outlaw Josey Wales. Here are some other favorites: The Godfather I & II, Annie Hall, Dr. Strangelove, Jaws, Raiders of the Lost Ark, The Thin Man, Pulp Fiction, Alien, Toy Story, Saving Private Ryan, Charade (my cousin directed it), King Kong and about 136 I can’t think of right now.
In another life, I would write scores for films. If I wasn’t writing books I’d be writing music.
MBA&M: What is a typical writing day for you?
ANDREW: I try to write at least four hours a day, which is not always possible, since I am still trying to extricate myself (read ‘retire’) from my day job as a business consultant. Who wouldn’t want to extricate themselves from that?!
However, the new world of publishing, i.e. marketing yourself through social networks, putting up a website and blog, all this takes time away from actually putting something down on virtual paper. It’s a challenge.
MBA&M: What is something you would like to accomplish in your writing career?
ANDREW: Probably the same thing you’ve heard before: gosh, I hope they make it into a movie! I’ve even sketched out the opening scene: go to my website – andrewlevkoff.com and click on Movie Music to have a listen.
MBA&M: Tell our readers where to find you and where to find your books?
ANDREW: If you go to www.andrewlevkoff.com, you will find more about the Bow series, including a book trailer and snippets from books two and three. You can buy the book at http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005UO0QMI, or at http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/87677.
Andrew is there anything else you would like to add?
Thank you very much for giving me the opportunity to speak with your audience. If anyone has any questions or comments, the can reach me at the website, or at
Thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to visit with My Book Addiction and More and our readers!!
THE BOW OF HEAVEN:THE OTHER ALEXANDER
ANDY LEVKOFF
Publisher:Andrew Levkoff (December 5, 2011)
Language:English
ISBN-10:098391012X
ISBN-13: 978-0983910121
Book Description(from Amazon)
Yet Alexander was perhaps the luckiest slave in Rome – as a gift to the ambitious Marcus Crassus, his own fortunes would rise with the young senator’s, until Alexander was managing the household of the richest man in the empire. It turns out that the man who owns him, far from being his enemy, might even become something close to a friend. No matter, Alexander stumbles into enough trouble on his own.
Love, loss, murder and more keep the pages turning, and Alexander, the acerbic, cantankerous narrator, holds the readers attention even as his grip on his own destiny slips through his fingers. No matter how far he pushes the boundaries of his enslavement, his life is still bound to the will of another.
My Book Addiction and More! 
Thanks for visiting with us today…
AprilR
I am captivated with your novel. It sounds intriguing and fascinating. Your post was interesting considering the nostalgia which I feel for that era as well.
Historic figures such as your book on Alexander would be enthralling. Enjoyable post about your background and writing. Many thanks for this great feature.
It’s a big book. I couldn’t fit it all into one novel; Book II: A Mixture of Madness should be out by October. If you do get a chance to read “Bow,” I would love to hear your comments. Thank you for posting. – Andrew
I loved this idea. We know of the famous but not always the rich. I can’t wait to read this book. I loved how you described your writing process then switching it to come from another viewpoint. I think you are right that it would be better. Sounds wonderful!
I found your post to be quite interesting. History has never been a favorite subject, however I have found myself really enjoying historical fiction. Alexander’s story sounds very interesting – thank you for making us aware of your novel.
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