An interview with Alex Sapegin

The author of the top-rated series “The Dragon Inside” Alex Sapegin from the far-away and cold Russian city Khabarovsk sends his greetings and best wishes to all of his readers!

Our digital publishing house LitWorld chose his series as a bright representation for the fantasy genre. Now his first two books, “Becoming the Dragon” and “Wings on my Back” are on sale on Amazon and his 3rd book, “A Cruel Tale” is available for a pre-order and will be released on the 26th of February.

Want to know how the author of Becoming the Dragon really is? Want to know what it’s like to get to know a few magic creatures personally? Well, you’ve clicked the right article!

- What inspired you to write your first book?

- I have been creating stories since I was a student. I was telling them to my friends, and sometimes laughing, sometimes seriously, they suggested publishing it. At that time, it didn’t seem like something serious, and I laid all manuscripts aside. I finally dared to try after ten years. I wiped the dust away from my old notebooks, reread and rethought a lot, and prepared to debut my first story to the world. Many people publish their books through the internet, and I followed suit. At that time, Andy’s story was so developed that it wasn’t even able to fit comfortably in my notebooks anymore.

- It isn’t easy to write books, is it? Doesn’t it take a lot of time? Do you even have any free time left?

- Definitely, it takes a lot of time. Sometimes you get inspired, scribble some words and find yourself a few hours later still writing in the middle of the night. Now I’m trying to leave all my writing for the weekends. During the week I create plots and dialogues and jot down the most interesting ideas. Back to the question: yes, writing takes a lot of free time, but still, I leave myself a few free hours just to be a lazy Tom.

- Why did you choose fantasy genre and why dragons? Do you know few of them personally?

- I love fantasy. This genre gives authors a limitless field for imagination without strict borders. It allows you to create your own rules for your own world. But speaking of dragons… I’ve been a big fan of them since childhood. They’re strong, mighty, beautiful; sometimes kind, sometimes fair. I was always sorry for Smaug, even though he deserved that black arrow. And to answer if I know a few dragons personally… Yes, as a matter-of-fact I do, and I will have supper with one of them today. Thankfully, he's not a meat-eater, and I'm not a vegetable.

- What are you reading right now? Can you suggest something to fans of the genre?

- At the moment I am reading Arthur Conan Doyle -- his series about the famous Sherlock Holmes. To the fans of the fantasy genre, I can suggest a classic: “Dragonriders of Pern” by Anne Inez McCaffrey.

- What was your reaction to LitWorld’s suggestion to translate your books and to present them to the English-speaking world, first of all to America?

- At first, I was cautious: a Russian author, who is neither a Tolstoy nor a Chekhov, probably won’t be accepted with lots of enthusiasm in this sphere. But then I decided that stories written somewhere far-away in a little town also have their right to be recognized, to be made known. Every great author was a beginner once upon a time. The American market is also very promising; it sets the tone for the world. So, it turned out to be a challenge for myself. If your books are interesting to foreign readers — it means you’ve arrived and should work to become a lot better, and even if you haven’t arrived— you should still work to become a lot better.

- What were your expectations from collaboration with LitWorld?

- I was waiting for something… big, you know, it was like waiting for a child to be born.

- Do you like covers for your books, made by LitWorld?

- I do like them so much! From the first sight, they condition readers to be serious, saying: there won’t be any pink ponies in this story, it’s a dragon’s land, the weak won’t survive here.

- After a month on Amazon, 3,000 copies of the first book “Becoming the Dragon” were sold. The second book “Wings on my Back” sold in 1,000 copies in a week. “The Dragon inside” series already has its fans, waiting for the next book, admiring Andy’s adventures. What do you think about it?

- Andy’s adventures have just started. Honestly, I’m jealous of those who still have the whole story ahead of them.

- Would you like to meet your readers?

- Of course, I would. Probably one day that will happen. Dreams have brought humanity into outer space; my own dreams aren’t so ambitious, so… why not?

- Now we would like to give you a unique opportunity to say something to your readers all over the world!

- Thank you for reading my books! It means a lot to me. Just remember: it’s important to be humane, even if you’re a Dragon.