Serge Alexandr

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I hail from the Pacific Northwest, where I spend a lot of time outdoors. I’m kind of a closet nerd, meaning I’ve learned to hide it well :). I love science and space. Hence my love for science fiction.

I went to school and graduated with a degree I have done absolutely nothing with. Upon graduating, I realized that spending a life climbing the corporate ladder terrified me more than anything. As in petrified. It forced me to look at myself and find what would truly make me happy, what really mattered.

Turns out I’d known all along. Writing. I’d been an avid reader my whole life, especially in my youth, and in fact, I’d always known I’d write eventually. I just needed a push to sit down and pour out my thoughts into a full story.

So I quit my job and began writing and painting…something I’d dabbled in, yet never really realized until that moment.

So far, I just have the one book, The Rise of Ares: Mortal Sins. But it’s a trilogy, so I’ll have at least three under my belt when all is said and done! 🙂

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My last, and only, book is The Rise of Ares: Mortal Sins. In all reality, I think it was born from my frustrations attending college. But not only that, it was a combination of school and contemplating society in general, and seeing how the world is set up in a way that’s nothing more than a hamster wheel. Likely, now that I think about it, the saga is exactly those frustrations played out in a space opera; only bigger and more exotic.

I found school challenging (even though that was my own fault for not entering the sciences), and the structure uninteresting. Worse, it pissed me off that I paid a small fortune for something so pointless. And I think I poured that frustration into the main character. Who is left to deal with a similar situation, except in a future much more complex and devious than ours.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I’m not sure if this is unusual or not, but this is the only way I finished this book.

I’ve been writing short stories for ever. Because I just couldn’t sit there writing a whole book knowing where it would lead. To me, it was like watching the same movie over and over again and then writing a report about it. Just no interest once I knew the story.

The way I circumvented that was by introducing elements into the story at the very beginning, without knowing where they would lead. In fact, the whole book was mostly written in that fashion. Surprisingly, things started knitting together in ways I would have never even imagined! And turned into a fun, fun experience!

What authors, or books have influenced you?
The Mars Trilogy by Kim Stanley Robinson was one of the most influential trilogies I’ve ever read. I was only in my young teens, and her universe burned into my brain. The fact that science fiction can be extremely believable was a new concept to me.

A little later, Robert Reed’s Marrow was another groundbreaking one, for me anyways. It really played with my imagination.

Other than that, all the greats of course!

What are you working on now?
The second installment of The Rise of Ares. 🙂

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’m completely new to the field. So far it’s been few and far in between hehe. I’m only beginning to build an online presence. But I have profiles on a few prominent sites…. and of course facebook, and my personal site; sergealexandr.com.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Well, as a new author, I would say spend the time to research every step of the process if you’re self publishing. I did, and I’ve learned so much in the last year and half, it’s ridiculous. It’s a great way to learn the industry; learning about every step and how to make sure you produce a polished product. And it’s knowledge that will stay with you for the rest of your life.

Also, success is like walking. As a child, you fall and fall until one day you walk. You don’t even think of giving up, because giving up isn’t even a thought you entertain. Think about it.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
-Find what you love to do, then find a way to support yourself doing it. There is always a way.

What are you reading now?
The computer screen.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Well, now that my first book is out, I need to market as much as is possible, while working on the second installment.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
-The Encyclopedia (of everything in it’s full entirety, as far as I’m concerned, its one book 😉 )

-A dictionary in a language I don’t speak

-The biggest anthology of sci-fi shorts I could get my hands on.

Author Websites and Profiles
Serge Alexandr Website
Serge Alexandr Amazon Profile

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