Today is my stop on the blog tour for Tentoria by Sorin Banu. I have an interview with the author today and if you love the sound of this book you can click here to order your copy now. Don't forget to check out the other blogs on the tour for more exclusive content and reviews.
Here's what it's all about...
An army of bionic humans made up as a last ditch solution to establish peace will turn against humanity.
In the 22nd century, mankind enters into a new world war to produce the first generation of Tentorians. Cyborgs with functioning bodies and human intelligence, they are the first genuine success in the artificial improvement. In time, the Tentorians come officially to be a nation, showing more and more their true nature: blood and power-thirsty, human-bodied machines. Thus, in the 25th century, the great powers made up their minds to hunt them down all over the world and have them isolated inside a region called TENTORIA.
A Tentorian nation that will bear consequences on the past.
The action moves back in time 500 years, to the year 2024 and to a planet Earth consisting but of a piece of land surrounded by one single large ocean, and a population of 12 million people ruled by a secret organization. Cole is a 27-year-old young man leading a happy life in this peculiar world. As the story unfolds, he realizes the reality of his existence at break-neck speed on the edge of survival.
“Are you ready to forget the future?”
And here's that interview for you...
First question-bit of a cliche-how did you get into writing?
I have been entranced since an early age by questions like: "Where mankind is heading? How we really came into being? How large is the universe? Who or what lies behind the rules governing our existence? What is soul? What is life? etc., so I started with writing down all sorts of ideas and possible theoretical scenarios in a philosophical themed manuscript only to realize in time that I like words and enjoy building up ideas.
Do you write full time & if so, have you always done this?
Did more the few years before launching Tentoria. These days is just a bit during weekends. Hopefully, one day I will come back to the good habits of writing more.
Do you have a particular writing style or genre that you prefer to write?
Not necessarily. It is worth mentioning I like Frank Herbert, George R.R. Martin, Isaac Asimov.
How do you develop your characters as you write, are any of them based on real people?
I am not very good in developing complex characters, though I would like to improve on this skill. I develop characters to the strict necessary, based on the story needs; and not so much based on real people.
What was the inspiration behind your book?
As I’ve always liked action and Sci-Fi movies, and been an emerging technologies freak, I told myself it would be interesting to create an enticing story easy to be read; and I started from my philosophical notes wrote in the above mentioned manuscript.
That’s how "Tentoria" came to light and, leaving aside the ideas behind the story, I hope it is an absorbing narrative who will keep you glued to it up to the end.
What is your writing process-do you plan it out first? Write a bit at a time?
In short: I write a bit at a time, but is good to have an overall plan.
One of the things I enjoyed most: to have a puzzle built first and then to start taking it apart; to scatter its pieces along the narration, using some of the last pieces in the beginning without betraying the outcome, but trying at the same time to have the story flow and to hook the reader as often as possible.
At the beginning, it was hard to plan all these because I haven’t played previously with such techniques. As writer, in particular a debutant one, you experience a great satisfaction in having the reader at last finding the blanks in the puzzle as you orderly left them there.
How much of you is reflected in your writing?
Not of me but a lot of my philosophy.
What kind of research did you have to do before/during writing behind your book?
Quite some, e.g. medical, on technology, and a lot about Iceland, which I discovered more while writing Tentoria – a must visit country I would say. I have even done a lot of Google-ing on weapons (needed for the action in the book), so much that if someone had checked my profile based on my searches, he would have thought I am planning a terrorist attack .
How much attention do you pay to the reviews that you get?
Nowadays reviews are the most important marketing tool; these are vital especially for an unknown author like me. Many thanks upfront to every reader that could spend a few minutes leaving an honest review to my book.
Are friends and family supportive of your writing?
A few, yes. However, more important is that they helped me with lots of reviews. Through them, I learned what wasn’t working in same parts of the book and I made corrections. Good occasion to thank them again here.
How do you feel leading up to your publication day?
The publication day was great, for both versions, Romanian and English. Being the first book, probably they were two of the most memorable days of my life.
Which other authors inspire you or are there any you particularly enjoy reading?
I am not a true fan of GOT nor read it entirely, but I really like how R.R. Martin writes.
Finally...what are you working on right now?
In the very little time I write, second volume of Tentoria. Yes, it should have a sequel.
Thank you!
Author Bio
Sorin Banu published his first book in May 2016, the dystopian novel "Tentoria". He has graduated in Economics and his professional career has been in the IT consulting. He was born in Bucharest and currently lives in Brussels. He is passionate about metaphysics and emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence, virtual reality etc., areas that have undoubtedly inspired him in his first book.
Thank you for being a part of the tour, Kelly xx
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