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| Ulff Lehmann |
Tell me about yourself?
Once upon a bloody long time ago, in a small town called Wattenscheid, a young lad was born. Much like his birthplace, the young lad struggled to retain his identity, but unlike his birthplace, he did eventually figure out who and more importantly what he was. For unlike other children his age, he read, a lot. Courtesy of a somewhat cultured, but at the very least culture and history interested, mother, the young lad went to many a museum, soaking in all he could about times past. He learned how fishermen lived in the early days of the renaissance, how the Egyptians buried their kings, you know, the sort of stuff that usually bores a lot of kids. Sadly, his quest for knowledge wasn't understood or shared by the person he wanted to get attention from most, his father. The only way the lad gained his da's attention and appreciation was through athletic achievement, for that was the only thing his father understood. Sadly, the moment the lad quit sports, his father lost interest as well.
Without guidance from either parent, the lad went rudderless. He spent a year in the United States, became fluent in English. In hindsight, it gave him some appreciation for his parents. Sadly, he still lacked the guidance he sorely needed. Trying this and that, doing stuff like playing D&D his parents detested for they did not understand his need for and his ability of telling stories. Truth be told, the lad, now a young man, had very little clue either, it just felt right. The years passed, the lad turned man tried and tried and tried again to fit into society, become a part, but the more he tried the further apart he stood, or felt. Until, one day, the world became too much for him, he broke down and cried bitterly for many a day.
A dear friend of his, one of the few he had, saw his distress and pushed and prodded until the man went forth to find a doctor of the spirit who might help him find his way. Much like a cork carried by the water's waves, the man drifted from one doctor to the next, until he, finally, found a wise woman he felt comfortable with. Many a moon the doctor pushed and prodded, trying to find a way to break the wall the man had erected around his heart, and finally, progress! The man realized he was a writer, and under the doctor's careful guidance, he began anew to write a story he had tried to write many times before but never really finding his voice. Now, inspired by books he had recently read and encouraged by his dear friend and the wise doctor, he had found his voice. Over the course of many months he wrote, his mind's eye always on a specific goal he, with the doctor's aid, wrote a tale of pain and woe and war and friendship. It felt strong, but the lad turned man knew it needed be stronger. So, after it was finished, he read it, fixing what mistakes he could find, both story and style and writing. Then, he did it again and once more, feeling much like a blacksmith, nay, a wordsmith. Once it was done, a friend of his volunteered her services to give the book a read.
When she was finished, she and the man sat down and discussed the novel at length. At first she was hesitant, fearing her critique might upset him, but the more she said, the more he encouraged her to speak his mind, for her eyes saw things he couldn't because of his closeness to the words. Finally, after many hours, he had filled many pages with notes, all clues as to what needed to be done to make the story even better.
In the years since, the man tried to find agent and publisher, but his main focus was on writing the second novel. Now, still without either, he decided to release the book by himself, having the sequel as close to finished as he alone can make it, and the finale waiting to be finished as well. He has reached the last goal his wise woman doctor had set before him, and is glad he knows who and what he is.
(That original enough? :-D)
Tell me about your current Book:
Upon hearing he lives in the path of an invading army, a traumatized Drangar Ralgon must leave his home and his solitude behind, or else be swept up in a war that isn't his.
Friedrich Nietzsche said that if one looks too long into the abyss, the abyss looks back. Drangar Ralgon has been avoiding the abyss's gaze for far too long and now turns around to face it.
Shattered Dreams is told from multiple viewpoints, with each individual tale eventually intersecting with the others, forming a tapestry. In a land finally at peace, war, like a weaver, pushes lives of warriors every which way until their paths become patterns. There are no shining heroes, no damsels who cannot save themselves, only people trying their damndest to make sense of the chaos they call their lives.
This is but their first steps as they figure out their roles in the gigantic tapestry the gods have laid out for them. In a world where actions do have consequences, and mistakes are paid for in blood and pain, the lives of a few can make a difference.
For two years the mercenary Drangar Ralgon has kept his back to his dark past. Afraid to live, afraid to die, Drangar tries to ignore the abyss that lies behind him. Now, faced with a war he wants nothing to do with, he finally turns around and gazes back.
Inspired by the vigorous style of George R.R. Martin's A SONG OF ICE AND FIRE, and in the vein of historical fictioneer Bernard Cornwell, SHATTERED DREAMS brings to life a stark, uncompromising tale of a man's path to redemption.
Please attach a Cover photo.
What are you working on now?
Aside from promoting Shattered Dreams, I am waiting on my beta-readers' feedback so I can rework that novel's sequel, Shattered Hopes, which has been gathering virtual dust ever since I started writing the conclusion to the trilogy, Shattered Bonds.
Where is your favorite place to be when you write?
In front of my computer, in my living room. The table this machine stands on is the same table I used to write at when I had my first computer. Its position allows me to stare at the roofs of my hometown, Hattingen, and the sky above. To me, it's perfect.
I have two computers, one exclusively for writing, it has no internet connection, no speakers, just the bare bones needed to write. When I need to print anything, I have to use a flash drive. It might sound annoying to some, but for me it is perfect.
What is your favorite Website?
Truth be told, when I spend time online, I usually have two tabs open, one for facebook and one for goodreads. These are but stepping stones that take me to whatever catches my interest, which then is opened in yet another tab. I do some research online, but I'm kind of old fashioned in that I actually prefer to have paper in my hands, so books it is most of the time. Although there are some great pieces on youtube, BBC documentaries and such.
Links:
Email:
ulff.lehmann@t-online.deAmazon:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/1534803254 http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1534803254Blog:
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15399169.Ulff_Lehmann/blogFacebook:
https://www.facebook.com/Ralchanh/Twitter:
https://twitter.com/UlffLehmann
