Ask the Author: Elena May
Answered Questions (6)
Elena May
Hi Sulime! I am really impressed with your guess! You’re absolutely correct.
I decided to leave the reveal of Prince Vladimir’s story until Book 2 because I wanted to give readers the chance to guess it themselves, so I’m really happy to see you’ve done just that.
While the fact that “Vladimir” means “ruler of the world” is discussed in Book 2, it is not the reason why the Prince chooses this name. The real reason is more specific and is revealed in detail in the next book. I won’t say it here to avoid spoilers, but with a bit of history knowledge, one could figure it out :)
You’re right that the Old Church Slavonic form of the name is "Vladiměr" though the two versions existed in parallel for a while, and the earliest recorded instance of “Vladimir” is from the time when Prince Vladimir was human. Of course, there is the question of how to interpret the records. This is all happening shortly before the Cyrillic alphabet is developed, in a region where the Latin alphabet isn’t widely used. Most sources are in Greek, and it is possible to get discrepancies because of transliteration conventions. And even in Greek sources, I’ve seen the name with both epsilon and iota in the last syllable: -μερ vs. -μιρ. Sometimes, the name is changed completely into a Greek version, such as Vladimiros or even Valdimiros, and it becomes difficult to guess what the original name was supposed to sound like. So let’s just say that names change and evolve, and sometimes different versions exists at the same time. Prince Vladimir has his own reasons to choose the form ending in “mir” which will be revealed later.
Thanks a lot for the thoughtful question!
I decided to leave the reveal of Prince Vladimir’s story until Book 2 because I wanted to give readers the chance to guess it themselves, so I’m really happy to see you’ve done just that.
While the fact that “Vladimir” means “ruler of the world” is discussed in Book 2, it is not the reason why the Prince chooses this name. The real reason is more specific and is revealed in detail in the next book. I won’t say it here to avoid spoilers, but with a bit of history knowledge, one could figure it out :)
You’re right that the Old Church Slavonic form of the name is "Vladiměr" though the two versions existed in parallel for a while, and the earliest recorded instance of “Vladimir” is from the time when Prince Vladimir was human. Of course, there is the question of how to interpret the records. This is all happening shortly before the Cyrillic alphabet is developed, in a region where the Latin alphabet isn’t widely used. Most sources are in Greek, and it is possible to get discrepancies because of transliteration conventions. And even in Greek sources, I’ve seen the name with both epsilon and iota in the last syllable: -μερ vs. -μιρ. Sometimes, the name is changed completely into a Greek version, such as Vladimiros or even Valdimiros, and it becomes difficult to guess what the original name was supposed to sound like. So let’s just say that names change and evolve, and sometimes different versions exists at the same time. Prince Vladimir has his own reasons to choose the form ending in “mir” which will be revealed later.
Thanks a lot for the thoughtful question!
Elena May
Hey Jessica! Thanks for your question! Inspiration can come from anywhere, and I often find it in the places I visit, the people I meet, or simply observing the world around me and filling in the gaps in my mind--who was here a hundred years ago? What did they do? Who will come here in the future? For example, whenever I visit a historical castle, I'd think about the nobles who lived there centuries ago. I'd imagine the king sitting in that chair, or receiving visitors in that room, or working in that study, etc. I make up stories in my mind, and something the stories come together into something bigger, while more often they are just random and go nowhere. I also draw lots of inspiration from mythology and history, which is more apparent in my second book.
The first book I read and enjoyed? Wow, that's a tough one! As a kid I was reading a book after a book, so much that at one point my parents had to forbid me to read fiction outside of school holidays, so I wouldn't read too much and ignore my studies. I think the first book that really made an impression on me was The Children of Captain Grant by Jules Verne. I must have been 5 or 6 when I read it because I clearly remember something weird. There was a scene where the adventurers arrive at a strange place and meet child soldiers, and the narrator remarks, horrified, that the youngest ones are "barely seven." I remember being surprised and thinking "What does that mean? Barely? Seven is a perfectly grown up person." :D:D Honestly, I don't remember much of the book apart from disjointed scenes, but I still remember the way it made it feel. I was rushing to get to the last page, and at the same time I was terrified to get to the end. When I finished, I stood for a while just holding the book in my hands and thinking how I'd never read anything as good again. Thankfully, I was wrong and I've found many special and life-changing books since!
The first book I read and enjoyed? Wow, that's a tough one! As a kid I was reading a book after a book, so much that at one point my parents had to forbid me to read fiction outside of school holidays, so I wouldn't read too much and ignore my studies. I think the first book that really made an impression on me was The Children of Captain Grant by Jules Verne. I must have been 5 or 6 when I read it because I clearly remember something weird. There was a scene where the adventurers arrive at a strange place and meet child soldiers, and the narrator remarks, horrified, that the youngest ones are "barely seven." I remember being surprised and thinking "What does that mean? Barely? Seven is a perfectly grown up person." :D:D Honestly, I don't remember much of the book apart from disjointed scenes, but I still remember the way it made it feel. I was rushing to get to the last page, and at the same time I was terrified to get to the end. When I finished, I stood for a while just holding the book in my hands and thinking how I'd never read anything as good again. Thankfully, I was wrong and I've found many special and life-changing books since!
Elena May
Hi Tina,
Thanks so much for your interest! You could order the paperback from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Kingdom-Ashes-...
Amazon US should ship worldwide, but you could also try some local Amazon branches to check if you they give you better shipping costs. If you have an Amazon account connected to your mailing address, you could try replacing "amazon.com" by, for example, "amazon.co.uk" to check if they'll offer you a better deal.
If you don't use Amazon, you can find the book in some other online marketplaces, such as Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/king...
Not sure if they ship worldwide though.
Please let me know if you still have trouble!
Thanks so much for your interest! You could order the paperback from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Kingdom-Ashes-...
Amazon US should ship worldwide, but you could also try some local Amazon branches to check if you they give you better shipping costs. If you have an Amazon account connected to your mailing address, you could try replacing "amazon.com" by, for example, "amazon.co.uk" to check if they'll offer you a better deal.
If you don't use Amazon, you can find the book in some other online marketplaces, such as Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/king...
Not sure if they ship worldwide though.
Please let me know if you still have trouble!
Elena May
Hi Mert. What a great question! Many authors from all around the world want to start writing in English to reach a wider audience, so you’re in good company. I’m not sure if you’re interested in just how to write a good quality book in English or also in how to get it published, so I’ll address both points.
On the actual writing, here are a few things that have helped me and many others:
1. Read as many books in English as you can. Read different genres and different writing styles. Read fiction and nonfiction, articles, blog posts, news stories, essays, even informal online forums. Read well-written works and think about what makes them good. Read poorly written stories and think how you could improve them. And don’t limit yourself to the written world: movies, songs, games, and plays are great resources as well.
2. Don’t just passively consume English-language media. Write! Write book reviews. Write responses to posts. Find international pen-friends and write them long emails. Try to write something—anything—in English every day. If nothing else comes to mind, even a short journal entry would do.
3. This part is the trickiest if you’re not used to that, but it’s also the most important. When you write in English, you should THINK in English. You shouldn’t think in your native language and translate your thoughts when you put them on paper. Unless you are a very skilled translator, this will not only make your writing process longer, but will also lead to strange, literally translated phrases, and your text will likely fail to convey your original meaning.
On the same point, whenever you’re unsure about the meaning of an English word you plan to use, don’t simply look up the translation in a bilingual dictionary. Often, the same concepts don’t exist in every language, and translations are not exact or can have different connotations. In some cases, the translation can be straightforward: a “dog” is always a “dog,” but other words, such as, for instance, “splendid,” could be translated as many different words in another language, and each of them might miss subtle meanings. If you’re uncertain about a word, you should check it in an English dictionary that provides a definition with examples. Many such dictionaries are available online for free (e.g. dictionary.com)
Even after you have a perfect book, publishing it might be tricky. It’s very hard to get an agent if you don’t live in an English-speaking country, but, fortunately, nowadays self-publishing is a great option and you have many opportunities to produce a quality book. You’ll find tons of advice at the “Self-Publish Like a Pro” section on my website: https://kingdomofashes.net/category/s...
Best of luck with your writing!
On the actual writing, here are a few things that have helped me and many others:
1. Read as many books in English as you can. Read different genres and different writing styles. Read fiction and nonfiction, articles, blog posts, news stories, essays, even informal online forums. Read well-written works and think about what makes them good. Read poorly written stories and think how you could improve them. And don’t limit yourself to the written world: movies, songs, games, and plays are great resources as well.
2. Don’t just passively consume English-language media. Write! Write book reviews. Write responses to posts. Find international pen-friends and write them long emails. Try to write something—anything—in English every day. If nothing else comes to mind, even a short journal entry would do.
3. This part is the trickiest if you’re not used to that, but it’s also the most important. When you write in English, you should THINK in English. You shouldn’t think in your native language and translate your thoughts when you put them on paper. Unless you are a very skilled translator, this will not only make your writing process longer, but will also lead to strange, literally translated phrases, and your text will likely fail to convey your original meaning.
On the same point, whenever you’re unsure about the meaning of an English word you plan to use, don’t simply look up the translation in a bilingual dictionary. Often, the same concepts don’t exist in every language, and translations are not exact or can have different connotations. In some cases, the translation can be straightforward: a “dog” is always a “dog,” but other words, such as, for instance, “splendid,” could be translated as many different words in another language, and each of them might miss subtle meanings. If you’re uncertain about a word, you should check it in an English dictionary that provides a definition with examples. Many such dictionaries are available online for free (e.g. dictionary.com)
Even after you have a perfect book, publishing it might be tricky. It’s very hard to get an agent if you don’t live in an English-speaking country, but, fortunately, nowadays self-publishing is a great option and you have many opportunities to produce a quality book. You’ll find tons of advice at the “Self-Publish Like a Pro” section on my website: https://kingdomofashes.net/category/s...
Best of luck with your writing!
Elena May
Thanks for your question, Birchsilver! I sometimes give physical ARCs to bloggers who review YA fantasy. You are just in time -- I currently have 8 paperbacks, and I need to send out 6 of them to various giveaway winners within the next couple of days, so I still have 2 left! If you message me your mailing address, I'll be happy to send you one.
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