Chernozemsky, Vladimir

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Chernozemsky, Vladimir

PERSONAL:

Born in Plovdiv, Bulgaria; naturalized U.S. citizen. Education: Obtained degrees at DEFA, the Sorbonne, and Centro Sperimentale di Cimematografia.

ADDRESSES:

Home—Los Angeles, CA.

CAREER:

Writer, actor, painter, and film and stage director.

WRITINGS:

NOVELS

The Sun Was Death, Triumvirate (Los Angeles, CA), 1994.

Lion of the Balkans, Triumvirate (Los Angeles, CA), 1996.

Tamarind, Triumvirate (Los Angeles, CA), 1998.

Lost in the Light, Triumvirate (Los Angeles, CA), 2001.

Life and Times of Ellemar Why, Triumvirate (Los Angeles, CA), 2003.

A Continent Adrift, Triumvirate (Los Angeles, CA), 2004.

Dark Side of Time, Triumvirate (Los Angeles, CA), 2005.

Phase One after Zero, Triumvirate (Los Angeles, CA), 2005.

Goodbye Evilwood: The Murders in Tinseltown, Triumvirate (Los Angeles, CA), 2006.

SIDELIGHTS:

Vladimir Chernozemsky is a Bulgarian-born writer, actor, painter, and director. While making a career as a documentary filmmaker in Sofia, Bulgaria, Chernozemsky was regularly censored and harassed before he left the country, eventually settling in the United States. He began publishing novels in English in 1994.

In 1996 Chernozemsky published Lion of the Balkans. This novel depicts the Bulgarian independence struggle against five centuries of Ottoman rule. He bases many of the historical aspects of the events in the book on letters, diaries, and other written records from his own grandmother. Rebecca Brown, writing on the Rebecca's Reads Web site, called the book "a larger-than-life dramatic recreation of the glory and tragedy of that impressive historical period." A critic writing in the Small Press Bookwatch commented that the story was an "exciting saga of sweeping conflict, fierce pride, and unbridled determination." Shirley A. Roe, writing on the Blether Web site, stated: "From beginning to end, it captured my attention, and left me wanting to read more by this prolific author."

Dark Side of Time explores connections between Ancient Egyptian gods and the Christian Messiah, partly inspired by the author's research on secret Catholic Church documents suggesting a selective approach at constructing the modern day Bible. After meeting Dr. Moughabee, Gordon Bates travels to Egypt, possessed by the spirit of King Ikhnaton, and learns to accept his destiny, somewhat mimicking the life events of Jesus Christ. A reviewer on MyShelf.com remarked that the story is "full of intrigue and adventure as it tries to explore the age old reasons behind good and evil." David Cauthen, writing in the Decatur Daily, wrote that he "found the author's premise intellectually challenging and spiritually refreshing," but noted that humanizing the Messiah "will probably offend Bible literalists." On the Blether Web site, Roe commented that Chernozemsky "shows his captivating style of writing, employing a plot that is both interesting and thought provoking." She added that "the characters are drawn with great passion and intensity."

Goodbye Evilwood: The Murders in Tinseltown is a murder mystery set in Hollywood. A behind-the-scenes power struggle leads to the death of a young star who is not who she seems to be. The story is told by several different characters adding multiple perspectives to the plot. A reviewer in the Small Press Bookwatch called the novel "a suspenseful page-turner." A contributor to Kirkus Reviews called the story line "indifferently plotted and clumsily written." Barb Radmore, writing on the Front Street Reviews Web site, commented that the "plot twists are generous and plentiful." She added that Chernozemsky's experience in Hollywood and the film industry "lends a realistic edge to this murder mystery."