Topavzian. The debut novel by P.L Lambrou

Topavzian Longlisted in Best Novel Category for British Fantasy Awards 2010

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 16:02:00 +0000

Amazing News Topavzian Fans!

Topavzian has been longlisted in The Best Novel Category for 2010 British Fantasy Awards. In order for it to be shortlisted you need to vote for it. Show your support. British Fantasy Awards - Longlist Best Novel

Topavzian Receives 5 Star Reviews

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 11:30:00 +0000

See what readers are saying about Topavzian:

Review Centre

Amazon

Topavzian Gathers Momentum

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 11:25:00 +0000

Topavzian is now being featured on two Fantasy Book websites: Fantasy Book Review and Fantasy Book News.

More updates to follow...

Topavzian Press Release

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 15:40:00 +0000

"P.L. Lambrou makes his spectacular fiction debut with Topavzian, an offbeat rollercoaster action adventure that follows Londoner Zak Strange as his life changes from that of a hard-core raver to a killer and potential superhero...."

To read more click on the Press Release link on right hand side.

TOPAVZIAN IS OUT NOW. VISIT THE OFFICIAL SITE!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 19:52:00 +0000

Great News Topavzian fans.

Topavzian is on sale NOW. For more info and to buy your copy visit Topavzian's official web site, you'll find the link on the right. Enjoy the site and I recommend the jukebox...

Release Date

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 09:39:00 +0000

I'm chuffed to confirm that Topavzian will be released on 25th September. More details to follow...

Publication

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 09:14:00 +0000

Provisional date for release is end of August beginning of September. Will update you when I have a more concrete date.

Trailer

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 21 May 2009 11:40:00 +0000

I've just finished the trailer for Topavzian and it's now available to the world.
Watch it now !

Cover design

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 11:20:00 +0000

My cover designs arrived last Thursday. After loads of umming and arring I decided to go for this one, which I think encapsulates the book and is a great attention grabber - at least I hope it will be. Next step now is the book layout - can't wait!

I'll keep you posted on developments as they happen.

Subject Matters

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 23:09:00 +0000

What do you enjoy writing about? What floats your boat?

Get your juices flowing

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 22:45:00 +0000

If you were to write a book what would you write about?

Interview

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 09:53:00 +0000

I'm trying to convince my lead character Zak Strange to take part in an interview. Things are progressing nicely and I hope to be interviewing him in the coming weeks...watch this space

Excerpt - Chapter Three

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 10:40:00 +0000

Here's a snippet to whet your appetite:

Sheer brute mass steamrolled me. I was face-to-face with a stocky guy with no neck. Half his face was covered in blood.

He straddled me, pinning me to the ground with his knees. His long scummy hair brushed my forehead as drools of stringy saliva hung from his gaping mouth and plopped onto my face. For a second I thought of reasoning with him – maybe apologising, but I soon sussed he looked too mad for rational thought - crazy fucker sprung to mind.

I needed help but Adam was out for the count. And even if he did come to my rescue I wasn’t sure whether he’d make good back-up material. But at that moment, I didn’t give a toss; I would’ve settled for Big Bird.

‘What’s your fucking problem?’ I tried breaking free. ‘Let me go!’ I kicked my legs and struggled to arch my back.

He went to work on me; his hammer fists pounded my face, knocking my head from side-to-side. Then - the punches stopped... and the throttling started. I gasped for breath as the ugly fucker leered at me with controlled madness.

Screaming with rage, I wrestled my arms out of the knee pin and prised his big hands from my neck. I snapped one of his fingers. He screamed. It was a good, spine tingling scream; so good in fact, that if you really wanted, you could put it in a box and let it loose at Halloween - or even sell it to a Hollywood producer.

As he snapped his finger back into place, I connected with a succession of left and right hooks. Anyone else would’ve gone down, but not this prick; he didn’t flinch - at one stage he even smiled. I got the impression he was letting me hit him – maybe for kicks - maybe to tire me out.

Swapping punches for face grabs, I clawed his cheeks and yanked down. I felt his skin gather under my fingernails. Then I tried pushing his eyes into his head, but I kept missing as his bobbing and weaving avoided my thumb jabbing.

I caught a glimpse of a loose bumper lying just within reach. I stretched for it. Got a firm grip - then…WALLOP!

He briefly looked dazed and a bit surprised but then his face turned to fury. I sensed he was getting tired because his blows were as weak as mum slaps.

He grabbed my hair and double-slammed my head onto the ground. My brain shuddered.

I whacked his face with the base of my palm. His nose exploded and his head rocked just as Adam jumped onto his back, wrapping his legs around him, yanking his hair with one hand and throwing awkward looking punches with the other.

‘Go on Ads. Do him!’ I screamed.

Adam’s bitch slapping heroics distracted our attacker, giving me some welcome respite from my pounding - so I punched like the clappers; facebodyfacebodyfacebodyfacebody...

For the first time, I felt like we were making headway - we could win this ruck! But that went to pot when Adam was thrown to the ground.

The weight on my chest eased. He was standing over me now, drooling - wiping blood from his scumbag face. Smiling with red stained teeth, he clutched my ankle and dragged me as he walked backwards across the road towards a bank of trees. I jerked and skewed only for the pressure on my ankle to tighten. I tried to slow myself by digging my elbows into the ground.

Skin peeled.

‘Let go of me, you prick! Ads! Ads! Somebody help!’

Adam answered my call. ‘Let him go!’ he said, before letting loose a volley of punches topped off with a crazy roundhouse that floored our attacker.

I wish. Actually, ‘let him go,’ was as far as Adam got before he was knocked out - again. Still, his brief cameo was enough for my ankle to be freed.

I scrambled to my feet. I was poised, ready for the knockout blow – but it never happened because I was caught with an iron backhand that almost lopped my head off. I swivelled and slammed the ground.

This time he dragged me face down. His Neanderthal grunts billowed over me as the left side of my face grated. I was eating dirt, spitting grit. My number was up! I was on the way to becoming another stat; another drug fuelled youth who got into a fight and managed to get himself killed – a wasted life.

I desperately clawed the ground with so much force I thought my fingers were going to snap and crumble into my white knuckles. My fingertips sizzled as a trail of horror film claw marks embossed the road, almost confirming my doom.

Then, I thought I caught a glimpse of what looked like a flapping cape – but I’m pretty sure it didn’t belong to Batman. Could it have been Adam? I couldn’t tell. I didn’t care.

And so I lay on the ground, panting and listening as a scuffle unfolded until eventually our attacker collapsed next to me. I wanted to finish him but I was spent. Instead, we shared a moment. I looked at him, called him a wanker, and then passed out.

Find the flow

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 10:49:00 +0000

After spending a good eighteen months editing and shaping Topavzian, until finally after ten drafts it was completed, I found it a bit tough to get into writing the sequel. The first few pages took more than half an hour - OUTRAGE! I soon realised that my mindset was still in editing, re-reading and shaping mode - a side-effect from my first novel. So I downed tools, closed my eyes, relaxed and focused my mind on 'stream of consciousness' - to just write anything without thinking about it - GET IT ALL DOWN! finish the first draft and then focus on editing and shaping. Since then I've been writing like the clappers, knocking out about 1,500 words in my two hour daily slot between 8pm and 10pm. I've already clocked up close to 8,000 words and am on chapter five. Unlike the two years I gave myself to write Topavzian, this time I've given myself eighteen months - but still allowing about six months to finish draft 1. I'll keep you posted on how I get on.

Back to writing

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 15:20:00 +0000

After a four month break, this week I intend to start writing the second installment of 'The Topavzian Chronicles' (it's a working title but I quite like it). It's all mapped out both in my head and in my trusted notepad. I can't wait to throw myself into it! I've actually missed the characters. Will keep you posted...

My inspiration

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 13:36:00 +0000

When I started Topavzian I had no idea where it was going to take me. I just started writing about my experiences as a raver in the late 80s, early 90s and went with the flow. But then everything went off onto a tangent - that's when I found that extra bit of inspiration that added a fresh impetus to my writing What was the added inspiration? I hear you ask. Well, it was Homeric Troy. It's a strange combo but one that I'd like to think is original, and one that I hope will raise a smile and crack a laugh.

Preparing a good submission

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 14:06:00 +0000

Sending a submission shouldn't be taken lightly. If anything preparing a good submission is as hard, if not harder that writing the book itself - as I found. It would be such a waste to have gone through all that hard work of writing your book then send a sub-standard submission. Most of the time query letters are included within the submission guidelines. Take time preparing your query letter - get it right. I recommend you pick up the Writer's Handbook 2010 as this has a list of all publishers/agents and their submission guidelines, contact details etc. Some may ask for a query letter, first 3 chapters and synopsis while others may also want an author bio, chapter outline, first 10,000 words, a detailed proposal and even the full manuscript. Send to those publishers/agents who handle the genre of your book. Whatever they ask for, send - don't cut corners AND as a courtesy always send a SAE even if you don't want your submission returned to you. Present your work professionally AND STICK TO THE GUIDELINES! If you're asked to submit a single page synopsis, DO IT! even if it means re-writing it ten times. Good Luck!

A few writing tips

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 22:13:00 +0000

Writing Topavzian was the most challenging thing I've ever done. The one thing I learnt was no matter how many obstacles I encountered there was always a solution. So my tips are: never give up no matter what, always carry a writing pad to scribble down your thoughts no matter how wacky they may seem, do some short courses and learn the basics, share your work by joining a writers' group, accept constructive criticism and take it on board. By not sharing your work and thoughts with fellow aspiring writers or even friends/relatives you may find that your hard graft enters a stagnant vacuum. I found my writers' group very supportive and inspirational. Cheers guys.

Hoorah! I'm getting published

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 15:30:00 +0000

After sending out tons of submissions to agents and publishers I finally, to my utter amazement and joy, was informed that my submission had been accepted for publication. The day my jaw hit my littered desk was Thursday 20th November 2008. I was utterly lost for words, so as not to make a scene at work I silently screamed and yelped. What's happening now? Well, the cover is being designed and my manuscript is being proof read and edited. It still feels very surreal and I guess it won't sink in until I have a published copy in my hand - which I'm hoping will be around April 2009. For those of you who want a taster here's a snippet of my first chapter. I hope you enjoy it...

It was as if time had stopped – doubled over from a kick in the nuts. But my car was still moving - floating almost, carried by a torrent of multicolour that swirled like ribbon. My senses were trancelike. As I sat there helpless in the driver’s seat, a chilling sense of emptiness overwhelmed me. Every movement I made felt...unnatural – as though I didn’t belong to this world - detached from my body. It reminded me of being on Acid...

The windscreen cracked. My car jolted and shook madly, snaking and lurching as its undercarriage sizzled and popped from the dust and stones that kicked up.

‘Hit the brakes!’ urged my passenger.