Today I have a terrific interview with author T. M. Lakomy, who chats about her book
, her writing and the metaphysical. Enjoy...
Interview with T. M. Lakomy
Why don’t
you begin by sharing a little about yourself.
Well I’m
Tamara, the author of the “Shadow Crucible”. I’m British born but I grew up in
North Africa. I studied
archaeology and developed an obsession with shamanism and occult practices, and
spent many years delving into it. I am a Londoner and a big lover of ancient cultures,
the esoteric and history.
Could you
tell us a bit about your latest book?
This is
my debut novel, it is the story of a Templar and a Seer, both chased by the
blind god Samael. Now Samael was created by the mother Goddess without her
counterpart’s light so he was born blind and posed as God.
He kills
every incarnation of the messiah as he perceives it as a threat, propping up
false religions and trading in human souls, and he decided to go after Estella
the main protagonist because her sight extends so far, she can see the divine game
between darkness and light; the angels, demons and Lucifer who is playing on
both sides.
Throughout
the narrative, many of the old deities came and claim them, as they reside in
the “Twilit World” away from the infernal games, slowly revealing that they
were the true rulers of creation but were pushed out by the Gods we worship
today, their places usurped and demonised.
Mikhail
the Templar, has a love/hate relationship with Estella, and it doesn’t help
that one of the demons who used to haunt her Antariel is deliberately keeping
them separate out of jealousy.
The main
theme is apotheosis and the threefold death which is the ancient ritual that
powerful sages used to transcend death and return as a
god. It is revealed that Jesus, Mithra, Lug, Horus, Merlin and Odin, all were
initiated through the threefold death and returned with power, magic and
immortality, therefore rendering them all equal, and equally real.
One of
the characters undergoes this transformation, imposed on him by Cernunnos the
Horned God and Ceridwen, all to be able to save humanity from the reign of
Samael.
Of all
the books you've written, do you have a favourite?
I think
my current favourite book is my second one, yet unpublished. It is more real
and raw in the sense that I mixed real experiences of mine in north Africa,
maraboutism, witchdoctors, and religious zeal. I blended into it the effects of
the second world war and eugenics, all beneath the banner of fantasy. It has a
lot of elements of my life in it, some could be construed as unpleasant but
then it’s a different culture and world. So it’s darker, more horror, to the
bone, but its more authentic and I did bare my soul inside.
Do you
have a favourite character? If so, why?
Antariel
is my favourite character, he is cunning and extremely devious, but very protective
of Estella. He was an angel that became a demon, and he has this duality within
himself. He hates himself and others, but thinks he’s so special since he was a
choir singer before God’s throne, I’ve based him loosely on some mischievous
people I knew, capable of being so beautiful and kind one moment then when they
turn bad, there is no depth of depravity he won’t descend to. He is also
extremely courageous, standing up to Lucifer, Mikhail and basically every other
Angel and deity meddling in the game.
Why did you write this book? What was your
inspiration?
I wrote it because the themes and characters were
growing and germinating in my mind for years, they existed way before I put
them to paper and they just needed to thrive. One day when I was at university,
I saw a saying on the wall “when you cannot find the book you want to read,
then write it” and at first that got under my skin, but eventually I realised
that there is a lack of gothic dark fantasy novels out there with a strong
occult twist that’s steeped in authentic beliefs. So I began writing; the first
word I ever wrote was “carriages” and from there the story flowed.
I was always attracted to mysticism and the
paranormal, perhaps because as a child I used to see things, and no I’m not
crazy, so I always had the curiosity to wonder what is beyond the doors of
death? Is there more?
What did
you hope to accomplish by publishing your book?
I hope to
get people interested in the roots of their beliefs, and to explore the pre
Abrahamic religions of Europe and the rest of the world. There is much beauty
and knowledge there that is forgotten or seldom explored and I believe there is
much to learn from our heritage.
I would
like people to question their thoughts and their thinking patterns and ask
themselves what is really them?, whether they are the product of their culture
and epigenetics, how much of what we are is because we are controlled by
external forces?
Can you
tell us about your writing process? Where do your ideas originate? Do you have
a certain writing routine?
I either
write chapters as they come, scenes that enfold in my mind’s eye or I plan them
out. But most of the time an idea and event pops into my mind and it becomes
the crux of the story so I write it, even if I must write different chapters
separately. My ideas come from anything; a book by Mircea Eliade on shamanism
or a gothic piece of music, to folklore and myth and of course my own strange
mind.
I try to
write every day sometimes a lot, sometimes little, but I keep myself busy,
otherwise I can get complacent, then the process becomes harder.
What do
you like to do when you're not writing? Any hobbies?
I’m odd, I love astronomy,
and discovering the latest theories on parallel universes, I love botany,
discovering the medicinal properties of herbs and their ancient usage, think of
books on ayahuasca experiences and such.
I love
exploring other cultures and their food and just being nosy about everything
around me. I try to remember to be social as I am very aware that I am
eccentric even though I’m just 26.
Are you working
on another book?
Yes, on
my third book, I think it will be slightly different in the genre, perhaps
softer, and that shows the evolution of my writing. It’s still full of
folkloric themes that I just can’t get enough of, it’s like dark modern
fairytales, less dark than my second book but explores my eastern European
roots.
I have a
collection of dialogues that I intend to publish someday but that’s a project
for later.
The Shadow Crucible: The Blind God by T. M. Lakomy
In a world where angels, demons, and gods fight over the possession of mortal souls, two conflicted pawns are ensnared in a cruel game. The enigmatic seer Estella finds herself thrown together with Count Mikhail, a dogmatic Templar dedicated to subjugating her kind. But when a corrupted cardinal and puppet king begin a systematic genocide of her people, the two become unlikely allies.
Taking humanity back to their primordial beliefs and fears, Estella confronts Mikhail’s faith by revealing the true horror of the lucrative trade in human souls. All organized religions are shops orchestrated to consume mankind. Every deity, religion, and spiritual guide has been corrupted, and each claims to have the monopoly on truth and salvation.
In a perilous game where the truth is distorted and meddling ancient deities converge to partake of the unseen battle, Estella unwittingly finds herself hunted by Lucifer. Traversing the edge of hell’s precipice, Estella and Mikhail are reduced to mere instruments. Their only means to overcome is through courting the Threefold Death, the ancient ritual of apotheosis—of man becoming God.
The Shadow Crucible: The Blind God is available for pre-order on Amazon
Author Bio:
T. M. Lakomy is an archaeologist, specialising in the occult practices of indigenous people. She grew up in a marabout culture, with witchdoctors and tribal traditions, which fuelled her to delve deeper into the mystic beliefs of people.
She blended ancient gnostic beliefs into her novel, bringing back ancient deities who fight over the rulership of human souls, and the main themes are apotheosis and pulling back the veil.
