Eighteen Forever follows an 18-year-old girl who is thrust into the dark world of vampires against her will and embarks on a quest to reclaim her humanity. What inspired you to set the story in 1988, and how did the era shape Elizabeth’s journey?

Elizabeth’s story is set in the year 1988, which was a very important formative year for me. I left the former Soviet Union with my family in the year 1986 and Came to the United States in the year 1987. By setting my story in the eighties, I wanted to show the period of my journey that has shaped my own life in many interesting ways. The 1980’s were some of the best years of my life, when I was able to learn to speak English fluently and discover many forms of entertainment through media, such as books and movies. In a way, I tried to imagine what it would be like to live in the United States in that fascinating and incredible period in history. The 1980s was an era of sensual exploration and discovery.

Elizabeth’s inner struggle between her human past and vampire present is compelling. How did you approach writing her emotional journey and creating relatable conflicts?

When a person undergoes a powerful dramatic event in his or her life, that event is never forgotten. Elizabeth is an innocent soul, who has been accidentally exposed to a parallel world of mysterious and very powerful beings, who have existed secretly alongside humanity in parallel evolution. After realizing that vampires were real and she is one of them, Elizabeth does her best to understand her new condition and seeks the knowledge to reverse the process to regain her humanity. The emotional journey for her is very intense and filled with many twists and turns as she tries to balance her sanity against the backdrop of a new world she has to adapt to in order to survive. In many vampire novels, teenagers and young adults are often depicted delighted to gain vampire powers even knowing the cost of such a change. In my story, Elizabeth does her best to remain human in her thoughts and deeds, while protecting those she loves the most, her family and her friends.

Did you draw from any specific historical or literary sources to build the vampire mythology in Eighteen Forever?​

I was always fascinated by the vampires in literary fiction and have always wondered where they could come from and what is their purpose. I drew my inspiration from the vampire novels by Anne Rice, Michael Romkey, Jon F Merz, Laurell Hamilton, and several other stories and short novels where vampires were the main protagonists. In designing my won vampire world, I had an idea of parallel evolution, triggered by a mysterious ancient flower called The Sacrimal. By consuming its sweet petals, many ancient prehistoric humans were turned into vampires. After the last Great Ice Age, the flower seemingly vanished from existence, leaving behind a very enduring legend in vampire history. In my vampire novel, the vampires are called The Urtama and they have their language, customs, and traditions. Because of their incredibly long lifespan, they become the true keepers of human history and knowledge that helps them to adapt and survive.

What is the next book that you are working on, and when will it be available?

My next novel, titled The Heatseeker is another vampire story set in the same universe and featuring a young FBI agent who gets exposed to vampires while in pursuit of an elusive serial killer who targets sexual predators. In this story, a law enforcement officer wexill be confronted by the dark side of humanity and another world that would reshape his understanding about the nature of good and evil. This novel was actually based on a short story I wrote in my fiction writing class back in the year 2012 and it has stuck with me to this very day. I hope to make it interesting, exciting, and entertaining for everyone who enjoys reading dark fantasy. I will start working on this new book in November.

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