What inspired you to pursue writing as a career, especially after working in fields like accounting and wholesale?
Being a writer has always been a secret dream of mine, though for a long time, I didn’t think it was realistic. I didn’t even tell anyone that I was writing. It wasn’t until I wrote my first two novels and was sure they were pretty good that I admitted to my loved ones what I had been up to all those quiet, lonely evenings. Writing turned out to be addictive. It was a wonderful getaway from the hustle and bustle of working in accounting or wholesale! More and more, I've been thinking about taking up writing full-time, but I kept on putting it off for later. It wasn’t until I wrote “The Untouchable” that I realized it was time to stop putting my dreams and life goals on hold. I decided to debut with this novel and didn’t stop trying until I succeeded. Long story short: on June 26, 2023, I submitted the novel for consideration at Next Chapter Publishing. Barely a few days later, on July 5, 2023, I received an email from Miika Hannila, the CEO of Next Chapter, offering me a publishing contract. My longtime dream of becoming an author has finally come true. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Miika and the entire Next Chapter Team for their faith in me and the hard work they have dedicated to me and my novels.
How has your upbringing in post-communist Poland influenced your writing style and the themes you explore in your novels?
I was born in 1982, and as you know the Poles overthrew communism in 1989, so I can still remember a lot from its final phase. Communism meant for most of us poverty, the lack of basic human rights, and constant surveillance, which resulted in living in fear of being denounced to the authorities 24/7. They used mass terror and repression, especially against the Catholic Church and their political opponents.
When the socialist system fell, suddenly there was more than just mustard and vinegar on the shelves in the stores, which made a huge impression on me as a seven-year-old child. Until then, most of the food produced by Poles was exported to Russia, and we were just occasionally given scraps from the lord’s table. Each family was restricted in the purchase of food. For this purpose, we were given special food ration cards, with which we were authorized to buy only certain products, in limited quantities. On top of all this, there was a gigantic inflation, money had almost no value, and whenever there was a shortage in circulation, the Kremlin stooges just printed more. It took a long time for us to recover from communism. The Russians ruined our country economically and morally, and their influence persisted for quite some time after the fall but finally, we dealt with the most urgent problems, had free, democratic elections, and rebuilt our country's economy.
Moreover, when it comes to direct influences on my work, I cannot avoid mentioning my home region, namely Kashubia. It is steeped in historical events. Barely a few kilometers from where I live is Piaśnica, where German soldiers killed in 1939-1940 fourteen thousand people, mostly Poles, and buried them in mass graves, in the woods. Many Kashubian women were raped and killed by Russian soldiers on our soil, too, in 1945. It was called the Russian revenge, for the fact that the Kashubian men who hadn’t managed to escape were forced into the Wehrmacht. Nobody cared for the fact that if they dared to refuse, they were shot on-site or put into Stutthof, one of the German death camps.
I have had the privilege of talking to many people who survived World War II. Among others, it was my grandparents who told me their war stories. What they had to do to survive the war, and how they rescued family members from German death camps. And when the war ended, they told me what their lives looked like under Russian oppression. Growing up in Poland, where our history is respected and honored, had a huge impact on my approach to writing. I do not shy away from difficult subjects, I use them consciously, deliberately raising the drama of the scenes so that no matter where I place the plot of the novel, it seems as plausible as possible. And the more realistic the scenes seem, the more they engage the reader.
Can you tell us about your journey from writing prayers and thoughts to poetry and eventually to novels? How did each form of writing contribute to your development as an author?
My writing journey began when I was a child, with the prayers and poems you have mentioned. Thanks to it, I learned to express my thoughts on paper in a way that is understandable to the reader. Writing novels came just as naturally to me, and by then I was already in my mid-twenties. Creating worlds, characters, complex situations, and relationships is so fun and rewarding.
What motivated you to write your first novel, and how did you approach the process of writing it?
I was 27 when I wrote my very first novel and it took me only three months to do it. I remember it like it was yesterday. It was summertime, and I was on leave. I woke up from the strangest dream ever and felt the need to write it down, so I just rushed to the computer and did it. I almost succeeded in publishing it, too. A few publishing houses were even interested in it, but I simply lacked the confidence at the time to see it all the way through.
What was your experience like making your literary debut with "The Untouchable"? Did you face any challenges along the way?
I think I went through the same challenges as all other aspiring writers when they want to publish their debut book, which basically means tons of research, a great deal of time spent preparing materials, and, naturally, a lot of rejections. The entire process, from the very writing of the novel to finding a publisher, definitely teaches meticulousness, self-discipline, and patience.
Could you share some insights into the themes and messages you explore in "The Untouchable" series?
“The Untouchable” is a science fiction novel for adult readers with a well-defined dark romance subplot. It’s a story about a young woman, Olympia, whose entire world suddenly collapses under the impact of a
brutal alien invasion. The aliens decimate the population on Earth and those they leave alive are transported to their galaxy, only to serve there as slaves. Olympia faces unimaginable danger as she finds herself in an alien world. She doesn’t know their language or customs, and none of the moral or life standards she is used to, have any validity here. Moreover, humans are treated with unspeakable contempt, aggression, and brutality. All the local women, on the other hand, have no basic human rights and are being downright objectified by the general alien population. Before the invasion, Olympia led a comfortable lifestyle, and when the worst happens, she has to learn how to live with grief for her parents, her siblings, and the life she had known up to that point, and understand how much Stockholm Syndrome is affecting her and her decisions. She has to redefine herself, and her entire worldview, learn her boundaries and find out how much guilt she is capable of bearing for things she would never have done before. And all this to survive and give other human beings a chance to do the same. To make matters worse, the very head of this peculiar place she has ended up in, Prince Adlai, seems to obsessively monitor her every move, which causes a whole range of other problems and dilemmas for the heroine. Prince Adlai is the complete moral opposite of Olympia, and he strongly believes that the end justifies any means. The man plays with the heroine's feelings, becoming almost obsessed with her himself in the process. He has quite a problem understanding the woman. After all, he was raised in a cynical, amoral society, where murder, betrayal, and inhumane treatment of others, especially women, was downright sanctioned by their laws. Initially, he has no idea how to behave towards Olympia, so in order to gain the acceptance of the woman he loves, the prince goes through a great inner transformation. The hope of maybe finally being able to trust someone sparks, and like possessed he strives to tie her to him by any means possible. But is he able to really trust someone? Will he ever be able to appreciate any woman and treat her with respect? Does he deserve a chance like that after what he and his species did to humans? Will Olympia, on the other hand, be able to see what’s really happening around her and maintain her previously set course of liberating humans? Will her moral standards remain intact, despite all the putrefaction she is involuntarily drawn into? The action of “The Untouchable” is set in an alien, brutal world. It depicts many aspects of how circumstances and surroundings affect consciousness and the ability to make decisions. It also brings up many well-known social and moral issues. As I mentioned earlier, I am not afraid to address difficult subjects, even though my novel is a work of fiction. They add depth, and authenticity, and give a sense of greater emotional dilemmas. They are meant to emphasize how hard a struggle the heroine had to go through, in this horrible, cold, and unforgiving world controlled by misogyny, lack of civil rights, and morality. How difficult the challenge is to make it in such a world, to gain a proper position and thus have a chance in the fight for freedom. And how difficult it is to maintain your own values and morals when everything around you is against you.
Are there any specific authors or books that have had a significant impact on your writing style or storytelling approach?
I think the greatest influence on me as an author was the work of Stanisław Lem, Margaret Atwood, Henryk Sienkiewicz, Frank Herbert, Suzanne Collins, Isaac Asimov, Margit Sandemo, William Gibson, and many, many more. It was from them that I learned that people should be shown as they are. Human vices, pettiness, habits, all these things create what we are. Trying to hide the ugly or the beautiful only takes away the characters’ authenticity. And a character without depth is a character with whom the reader lacks a bond. The same goes for creating an entire world in the novel. Every world has its beauty and ugliness, good and evil, and without leaning into this aspect of existence, the novel loses its authenticity, and eventually, the reader loses interest in it.
How do you typically develop your characters and worlds? Do you draw inspiration from real-life experiences or do you rely more on imagination?
I rely entirely on my imagination, which manifests most vividly through my dreams. Of course, whenever I finish the first draft of a novel, it is always necessary to work out a few details so that the whole story reads coherent and interesting, the characters are vivid and rich in detail, but this is also where the imagination steps in.
What do you hope readers will take away from your novels, particularly "The Untouchable" series?
What I hope readers will take from “The Untouchable” is that sometimes you have to make very difficult choices, which no one can understand. It is a huge burden, every so often unbearable, but never give up. Fight as long as you can, as long as you have the strength to. And if there is no way around it and things just have to go down, let it happen on your own terms.
Can you describe your writing process? Do you follow a strict routine, or do you prefer a more flexible approach?
Thus far all of my novels have been based on dreams of mine, which tend to be extremely colorful and complicated. I don’t plan the plots; I don’t write outlines. When inspiration comes, I just sit down and write, and the story practically forms on its own. “The Untouchable” was written in the same way. I wrote the first draft in English, and on its basis, I’ve created the Polish version titled "Nietykalna". Later on, I refined the next drafts in both languages in parallel.
What challenges do you face as a writer, and how do you overcome them?
I am dyslexic, and English is not my first language. Therefore, I have to spend a lot of time on research. Fighting the so-called linguistic calques can also be quite a challenge, too. Calques are basically word-for-word translations and they usually happen when something distracts me while I'm working. Thus, I love to work at night, when it’s peaceful.
Are there any rituals or habits you have while writing that you find particularly helpful or essential to your creative process?
Coffee, water, and quiet is a must. I am definitely not a morning person. I am a night owl through and through and I can work the whole afternoon and then continue all night long, just don’t make me get up in the morning. Not before 10 AM.
How do you balance the demands of writing with other aspects of your life?
I generally stick to a fixed daily schedule. Usually, I take care of all sorts of day-to-day matters until 3 pm, and then I write or do online and social-media promotions. I like this kind of pattern. It has a very positive effect on my productivity.
Can you offer any insights into your future projects or anyupcoming works that your readers can look forward to?
As for the near future, I plan to attend a few book fairs to promote my debut book, and within the next couple of years, I intend to publish at least two more parts of “The Untouchable Series” in both languages. Lately, I have been also taking part in a few literary contests which I hope to continue, and I am already planning other projects as well. Hopefully, I will be able to carry out those plans and more.
Are you satisfied with the AllAuthor experience thus far? Is there anything about the site you particularly like or dislike?
Yes, I’m happy to say that thus far I’m very satisfied with the AllAuthor experience. You take care of your clients and offer them dependable support. My sincerest thanks for that!
