5 Things You Should Know About Black Lavender

 A writer can always talk long and extremely complicatedly about their novels. However, I’ll attempt the impossible task and list five things you should know about Black Lavender before publication.

 

It is published in English and Hungarian in ebook format

Although I am also a fan of printed books, I have decided that the novel will only be available as an ebook for now. This is partly due to the increased cost of publishing, but it is also worth noting that you can purchase Black Lavender at any time from anywhere in the world, and we have also greatly reduced its ecological footprint. Just think about it: manufacturing, storage, and transportation place a significant burden on the environment, and shipping costs are constantly rising, which readers often complain about.

Of course, I haven't thrown out the idea of publishing Annie's story in print later, but I feel it's important as an author to take responsibility for the environment—especially at a time when a book can be published in four or five different colorful editions at once, solely to satisfy fleeting market trends.

What's more, the book will be published in English at the same time as the Hungarian edition, suddenly transforming the small Hungarian market into a huge, universal space where many more people can get to know the story.

 

Black Lavender is the first part of the Phantom Chronicles series

Yes, I know that every fantasy author writes series these days, but this concept was born in my head when I was 15 (I'll tell you more about it later). Surprisingly, the central characters of the Phantom Chronicles are phantoms, whom I created from the legends of bogeymen. Other supernatural beings will also appear in the series, with vampires and witches, who are involved in many dark deeds, playing a major role.

The different parts of the series will be closely connected, so it's worth reading them in order. The first part will raise more questions than it answers, but I hope it will pique your curiosity enough to continue the series.

 

The novel also deals with sensitive topics

The novel also deals with sensitive topics There are few books these days that don't have a warning about sensitive content on the first pages; you'll find one at the beginning of Black Lavender. The story focuses on themes such as grief, repressed trauma and emotions, and suicide.

 These topics seem to be very popular lately, but the reality is that very few works of art deal with them in a realistic way. Although I have no psychological training, I tried to explore the topics as deeply as possible, drawing on my own experiences. Writers know how hard writing can be, especially when we delve deeply into a serious topic, or when we are personally involved in it. However, this is essential in order to portray the characters and their development as authentically as possible.

 

The first concept of The Phantom Chronicles first came to my mind when I was 15

The Phantom Chronicles—under a different title, of course—was the first novel I ever wrote. I started writing it in a notebook out of boredom when I was 15, in high school, with the active participation of my roommates. At that time, Twilight was very popular, so the first drafts of the first two parts were, let's say, heavily influenced by it.

 I had to thoroughly rework the story to make it more unique, readable, and obviously I had to adapt it to a new target audience, but I decided to preserve the nostalgic (and slightly sarcastic) mood of the work. If you loved Twilight or The Vampire Diaries, I think you'll love Black Lavender too 😀

 

Lavender and Harry Styles also play an important role in the story

As a matter of fact, Black Lavender was inspired by Harry Styles' song Sign Of The Times (which also appears in the novel).

I already have a song that inspired the second part, but I'm not going to reveal that yet 😉

The Phantom Chronicles is expected to be a trilogy, and although I may have new ideas, it's certain that each part will feature a flower symbol (even in the title).

I don't want to say too much about the role of lavender, because it would give away too many spoilers, but I can reveal that at the beginning of the novel, instead of a recommendation, you can read a short text, which I will share here:

 

Lavender is a complex, versatile symbol of purification, protection, love, peace, and femininity. It also acts as a spiritual shield, used against evil, harmful spirits, and negative energies.

 

What exactly does this reveal about the story? Find out HERE!