Francis: Where were you born/where did you grow up, did you have an easy childhood?
I was born in and grew up in a town south of Boston, Massachusetts. I’d say I had a pretty easy childhood. I was a good kid, had a big backyard to play in and I didn’t have a lot of friends but I had the right friends.
Francis: Give some background information about yourself, are you generally an optimistic person or pessimistic?
I’m a friendly and outgoing person. Aside from writing poetry and short stories I think of myself as quite athletic and sports oriented. I enjoy History and learning about strange things like UFO’s and other bizarre things. I enjoy the simple things in life. I’m a very optimistic person. Probably the most optimistic person I know which is weird because my parents aren’t lol. I’m usually the one assuring people it will be alright and trying to get them to see the good side to a bad situation.
Francis: Tell us your latest news, what are your current projects?
Well I literally just finished my fourth novel this afternoon called Opium Warfare. It is a Crime and Psychological Thriller based in 1920's Shanghai. It’s about the rise of the drug opium within the town and how it’s effecting one young man and slowly deteriorating the city as a hole leaving an everlasting impression. I also just submitted a few poems for an anthology about Bullying and Violence. Having been bullied myself I felt I could relate to the topic at hand so I contributed. I’m also awaiting to hear back from three other places to which I submitted stories for anthologies and may get started on a Zombie story.
Francis: When and why did you begin writing? How does your present day work compare to what you wrote then?
I began writing in my Freshman year of high school back in 2002/2003. I started writing poems. To be honest I don’t know what made me decide to write. I think it’s because whenever I wrote it was usually because I was being told to write an essay or something I didn’t want to. One day I wrote a poem in class and in English class we did a week of Poetry and I really took to it. I started writing poems more frequently and soon I realized I had a real talent for it.
My work now is different because I have expanded my writing. Instead of writing just poems I write novels, short stories and even drabbles(100 word stories). It compares in the sense that I enjoy it now as much as I did then if not more. I appreciate it more and I have a better understanding but I would say I still have the same technique and style only more advanced compared to back then.
Francis : What genre do you consider books to be? Have you ever thought of writing in another genre, for example if you wrote a Children’s book, how would it turn out?
I don’t usually write in just one genre. Book wise I’ve written two books of horror, two books of poetry and a Crime/Thriller. I have also written short stories of science fiction, fantasy, historical and even erotica. So I definitely like to write within and try different genres. I like certain ones better than others for instance I enjoy Horror and Science Fiction better then Fantasy and Romance. I’ve actually thought about writing a Children’s book but I don’t know how well it would be. I would have to dub down my writing and it’s mainly based on illustrations so since I can’t draw I’d definitely need to find an editor. Who knows though, since I’ve tackles all those genres maybe one day I’ll give writing a Children’s book a try.
Francis: Have you ever been flattered by a comparison to a well-known author or by a review?
Yes, someone compared my poetry once to Edgar Allan Poe, E.E Cummings and Emily Dickinson. I found it to be very flattering and it makes me feel good as a poet.
Francis: What inspired you to write your first book?
I wrote down five things I planned on doing. Five basic things such as learn to drive, find a job, become more social, be more active and last was write a book. Seeing that the first four weren’t going so well I decided to write a book. I chose horror poems because I had a handful of them and seeing as horror is quite popular I figured I’d give it a go.
Francis : Do you have a trademark writing style, what makes your work recognizable?
I honestly don’t know. I’ve been told I have a unique style to my writing but I myself can’t really pinpoint to how it is, what it is and how to describe it.
Francis : Do you write short stories? If so how do they differ to your novels?
Yes I write short stories. The main way they differ is there’s usually no planning when I start a story. I have a simple idea in my head and as I write the story whereas when I write a novel there is an idea of what the books about, what each chapter is about and key things I want to incorporate into it.
Francis: How did you come up with the titles of your books?
The Macabre Masterpiece came to me when I wanted to use a word for Horror or Scary so I thought of Macabre and then seeing as the book was filled with individual poems I coined them my individual masterpieces and I put the two words together and The Macabre Masterpiece became the title. A Bloody Bloody Mess in The Wild Wild West came to me when I was sitting down watching a Western. I saw someone get gunned down and thought wow he’s a bloody mess and then I put more emphasis on the Bloody to accommodate for the double Wild and I had my title for my Western Horror. Like A Box of Chocolates became the title of my book after I was trying to think of a way to explain poems within different genres. Since the poems were all random I tried things like Mixed Book of Goodies, The Mixed Poem Series, The Variety of poems but they didn’t sound good. Finally I realized that nobody knows what they are going to get when the turn each page to read a poem and then I remembered the film “Forrest Gump” and decided that Like A Box of Chocolates was perfect. Opium Warfare is probably the most boring story of how I came up with the title. The title just popped into my head and I decided I wanted to write another book and that would be the title of it.
Francis: Are there any messages in your novels, if so what?
A lot of my poems have messages within them as does my Western horror but I think that’s up to the reader t find out what they are.
Francis: How much of your books are based on reality, how much are based on someone you know, or events in your own life?
Some of my poems are based on reality and real events or realistic type events that we as people have created. I usually don’t base events or characters off anyone in my own life or myself, if anything my main characters sometimes have good morales like I do and I may use a name of someone I know.
Francis : What books have most influenced your life the most? Are some of these books, different to your own genre of writing?
I’m not really sure. Up until a couple of years ago I didn’t really read half as much as I should’ve.
Francis: Are you sometimes shocked by some of your own writing/ideas?
Yes. I know how I write and sometimes I’ll read a story I wrote from just a year ago and when I read it I almost forget I wrote it, it shocks me because it’s either really good or just complete crap. So sometimes it shocks me in a good way and sometimes it shocks me in a bad way.
Francis: Do you see writing as a career?
Well as of right now I am unemployed so writing is my career. Of course I’d like to have a steady job and write at the same time. Having a career as a writer would be a nice thing and though it’s what I do now I feel as though it could be better. Always room for improvement.
Francis : Is there a character in one of your books that really stands out for you? Could he or she be compared to any well-known literature character?
Javier “Bones” Jones. He stands out because he is one of the most rude, arrogant, self-absorbed and very blunt characters you will ever come across. I would compare his poor attitude to Ebenezer Scrooge but only for that reason. He only cares for himself and his own fortune and well being similar to Scrooge.
Francis: Were your parents avid readers, have your family played a part in your writing career? How do they feel about your work?
My mother loves to read. She always seems to have a book in her hand. My cousin is the same way, big reader always had a book in his hand. I wouldn’t say my family has played a part in my writing although in a way I’d say my cousin has got me to write more short stories and try to get involved in more anthologies which is his big thing. My parents are quite proud of my writing and my success and are always fascinated and eager to see what I come up with next.
Francis: What makes you proud of your books/life as a writer?
When someone tells me they enjoyed my book and describes details and parts that they loved. Also when I see the finished product and hold it in my hand it really makes me feel proud knowing that this is my work and it gives e great satisfaction.
Francis: How do you come up with the initial concept of a book?
Usually if an idea pops into my head I go over it, examine it, evaluate it and figure out if it’s broad enough for me to turn into a book. I constantly come up with ideas for books and stories but when it really sticks with me and I can build off it and have tons of ideas for it then usually it’s a good concept I will consider turning into a story or at the very best a book.
Francis: Who is your favorite author and what is it about them that you admire?
Elmore Leonard. I love the way he makes his characters unique by giving them certain features and attributes. I really enjoy the way he tells a story and brings action or some type of oddity to a page where you can’t look away and just want to read more. I suppose that it how any reader feels about their favorite author and Leonard definitely does this for me.
Francis: Who designed the covers for your books, were you happy with result?
Gemma Newey of Dark Phreak Arts has done all my covers. Yes I’ve been very happy with the results hence the reason I continue to use her as my cover artist.
Francis: What is the hardest part of being a writer?
Second guessing yourself and getting it just right. If your like me you always find yourself wondering if a sentence makes sense or is good enough to even be written. It’s just frustrating and may not seem like a hard part of being a writer but it when you’re a writer you want perfection or at least the closest thing to it.
Francis: Do you have any advice for other writers?
Believe in your writing, keep writing and don’t let the bad reviews get to you. Know that you have a talent and don’t just write for others write for yourself. Realize that not everyone is going to like your work and that you can learn from the criticism.
Francis: Other than writing do you have any other interests, do they connect up with your writing?
I enjoy sports like Baseball, Basketball and especially Football. They don’t really tie into my writing though. It’s what I like to do and watch when I’m not writing so any of my other interests I like doing when I’m not writing and I like it that way.
Francis: Are there any films that have influenced your writing? What kind of films do you like?
Spaghetti Westerns and Horror movies influences my first two books. I like horror and action movies. Anything that can really get my attention.
Francis: Do you socialize with other writers or creative people? Do you know any obscure or up and coming authors/or perhaps other creative people who deserve recognition?
Yes. Being a writer you tend to develop relationships with other writers so I have uited a few friends who are also authors. I also know a few people who are creative in their own right.
Francis: which theme (for example death, misery, and torture) is most prevalent in your stories? Francis:Which method of death would you choose out of the following A being ripped apart by lions B facing a firing squad made up by shadowy figures, who you suspect you have had major altercations with, during the course of your life. C you find yourself in a hospital, in a country far from home, with doctors and nurses you can’t communicate with, attached to devices that indicate you are in a critical condition. You don’t know how you got to the hospital/country. Death is inevitable however.
B, reminds me of The St.Valentine’s Day Massacre.
Francis: Do you have a blog/website? Or other important links?