With His Words I’m Not Alone is a coming-of-age novel that explores the main character’s vulnerability and queer identity as they search for connection and healing. Where did the idea for this novel come from? 

This may come as a shocker to some, but the idea for With His Words I’m Not Alone came after listening to a webinar about writing with AI a few years ago. That alone shocked me because my first thought was, now everyone can write a book whether they know how to write or have not a talent for writing a good or any story. From that thought came the fear of the book market being flooded with poorly written and “fake” books. As I had been developing this idea in my head, I identified with Noel, who falls victim to this technology, uses AI and then regrets it. To make things more complicated for him, I made Faded enter the scene like his online stalker. And not only a stalker. Faded was supposed to challenge Noel on every level, especially his sexuality. Faded is both Noel’s poison and cure, someone who invaded his intimate space and turned it into chaos before trying to put things back in order. Slowly, this lit-fic drama metamorphosed into a LGBTQ+, contemporary, unconventional romance and human story as I wanted it to be. It is a story of a relationship building that seems to be impossible to work out, not only because of the vulnerability of one protagonist but also because of two different worlds that clashed thanks to one tag and one message.

Because of my personal situation and the hard time I was going through, it took me a few long years to finish this book. Back then, AI was just knocking on our door. It was something new for most of the writers and authors; me included. Today, the situation has dramatically changed. Many authors use various AI software to get them the idea for their characters, backdrop, plots, and even write their stories. Besides being an unconventional love story, With His Words I’m Not Alone raises questions of morality of using technology to create and write instead of us and for giving our readers and fans a chance to decide whether they want to read human-made or AI-written books. To avoid any misunderstanding and possible confusion, I did not use AI as my muse or to write With His Words I’m Not Alone. It is all me. And I plan to keep it that way. My cover is also a creation of a talented human designer.

Your characters are wonderfully emotive and relatable. Were you able to use anything from your own life to inform their character development?

Thank you for saying that. I like character-driven stories and if I created emotive and relatable characters, I am more than happy. As it is with every author, we draw inspiration from people and the environments that surround us. From certain moments in time. That’s how I created Noel and Faded, mixing characters and characteristics of several people I encountered somewhere and at some point in my life.

I was able to use something from my own life in their character development, but only in a smaller portion. Going through a challenging period of my life and being a big introvert, I used my emotion and vulnerability in Noel, but I am not as broken and haunted as Noel is. Besides being emotional and driven by desire to help others, I am also passionate and intense when something intrigues me and occupies my attention. This passion, compassion and need to help Noel I built into Faded, although I am not so intense and obsessed as Faded is, haha.

I also used my fear of failure, fear of disappointing my readers as an author and creator of stories, and fear of being a bad promoter of my written words. Therefore, I made Noel so bold and determined to fight for his books, as my opposite, to encourage and boost myself that way that I can do it too. When you are set on doing something and you fight for it hard, the forces of the universe will help you do it.

What were some of your inspirations as a writer?

I get my inspiration from various situations and moments in life. From something that hits me, enchants me, or shocks me. It can be a breathtaking sunset or an incredible book. Since I read most genres, many authors have inspired me throughout my lifetime. I was a big fan of Anne Rice’s vampires, Stephen King’s horrors, a historical classic by Margaret Mitchell and other novels about the American Civil War, the Wild West, and other authors and books which don’t have much in common with my genre. Thanks to a few indie authors who write LGBTQ+ and YA books and movies like Call Me By Your Name, Brokeback Mountain, or Love, Simon, I got an inspiration to write this story. Indie author Jonathan Hill made the biggest impact on me; he was a sort of my turning point. Then followed other, both traditionally published and indie authors, like Adam Silvera, Jay Bell, Darryl Banner, Thomas Grant Bruso, Benjamin Alire Saenz, and most recently Kent Holland whose book, Honey, Moon, I finished at the moment of this interview and loved it as much as fabulous The Sea Ain’t Mine Alone by C.L. Beaumont I’ve read years ago.

What is one thing you hope readers take away from this book? 

The one thing I hope readers take away from my book is emotion. Emotion that will encourage them to love someone unconditionally and bravely, like Faded loves Noel, emotion that will motivate them to help their crushes, boyfriends, husbands, sons and daddies—or pets!—selflessly and without a hidden agenda of wanting something in return. I would like them to feel and experience emotion that will motivate them to strive to be a better person, and make their life more fulfilled, meaningful, and beautifully passionate.

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