Francis : Where were you born/where did you grow up, did you have an easy childhood?
I was born in Cyn City…Las Vegas. My childhood was full of fun and love but I also had a lot of tragedy over the years. Losing siblings and my mom early on forced me to grow up quickly. But it also made me realize life is short and to live everyday to the fullest.
Francis : Give some background information about yourself, are you generally an optimistic person or pessimistic?
I try to stay positive day-to-day. A writer’s life is a bit isolated as you’re working or editing most of the time. So the stress can get to you. The trick, I feel, is to stay away from watching or reading the news. Nothing but depressing things being reported about. Focus on finding your own joy in the world, that’s what I do.
Francis: Tell us your latest news, what are your current projects? For the first time in my writing career I’m working on a few different projects at the same time. First is the 2nd installment of my Demon Huntress trilogy which follows the next in line in the demon hunter family who carries the blood of a vampire in her making it something of a conflict of interest. The other two works are the start of some individual series. One is a dystopian thriller and the other with feature superheroes.
Francis:When and why did you begin writing? How does your present day work compare to what you wrote then?
I loved to read as a kid. The novel that made me want to become a writer was Dean Koontz Intensity. I enjoyed the book so much that I wanted to evoke the same types of emotions in readers of my own work.
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’m a hybrid writer, or mixed-genre as it were. My creative work is adventure-based with a touch of the supernatural, designed to keep pages turning and hearts pounding. With a focus on suspense and fantasy, I write multi-layered tales that emotionally engage readers.
Francis: Have you ever been flattered by a comparison to a well-known author or by a review?
Oh yes! I had a review of my novel Demon Hunter that compared me to Stephen King’s Duma Key and Gullivar’s Travels but the biggest compliment I received was being compared to Robert E. Howard’s Conan series.
Howard’s Conan novels are some of my all-time favorite in the fantasy genre. So to be compared to that particular author meant the world to me.
Francis: What inspired you to write your first book?
I used to dabble in short stories but as I said when I read Dean Koontz novel I knew I wanted to write like that.
Francis : Do you have a trademark writing style, what makes your work recognizable?
People remember my characters, my dialogue. My novels are “page-turners” and exciting reads.
Francis : Do you write short stories? If so how do they differ to your novels?
I’ve written some short stories. A few horror stories were published in the Dark Moon Digest anthologies. The only thing that really differs from my novels is that they are more concise and faster-paced.
Francis: How did you come up with the titles of your books?
The titles, a lot like the character names, just sort of pop into my head. Then I dabble with them and change them to suit the theme of the novel.
Francis: Are there any messages in your novels, if so what?
My novels are usually about facing your fears, or demons, and confronting those issues. The lead characters have something about themselves that they must face in order to find their “happily ever after” as it were.
Francis: How much of your books are based on reality, how much are based on someone you know, or events in your own life?
Bits and pieces of my life or reality will inevitably weave its way into my novels. Parts of people I know become characters. Except in Lucky Sevens I based a lot of the situation and characters on people and places I knew growing up in Las Vegas.
Francis : What books have most influenced your life the most? Are some of these books, different to your own genre of writing?
Books that influenced me are more on the non-fiction side. I read a lot of self-help and autobiography books.
Francis: Are you sometimes shocked by some of your own writing/ideas?
For sure. Especially when I go back and reread some of my very early work. I went through a troubled time as a teenager and I wrote a lot of really dark poetry then. Rereading it makes you see exactly where my headspace was at the time.
Francis: Do you see writing as a career?
Yes I do. To quote Million Dollar Baby “It’s the only thing I’ve ever felt good doing. If I don’t got that, I got nothing.”
Granted, it is not the easiest career path in the world. Sometimes I wish I would’ve been blessed with a more visual talent but as passion persists I go at writer as a career and a business because if you are serious about writing, or any art for that matter, that is how you have to pursue it.
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?
I don’t know if any of my characters compare to well-known characters but they do compare to some real life people because that’s my inspiration. I gather bits and pieces of people I know and establish a character from that mold. In my Las Vegas thriller Lucky Sevens my lead character Lucky Luchazi was an absolute joy to write. I think part of the reason was that I gave him some quirks that may come off as unlikable (for example he's an alcoholic) but that gave him a depth of realism to work with. Also, alot of his mannerisms and dialogue were based on my own father so how could I not love him. Another character who stands out for me is the female gladiator Nadja in The Crescent. She's compelling because she was ripped from her home and forced into slavery to fight as a gladiator but all the while she never gives up her strength. I like writing strong women. I like creating realism in my characters. I like creating characters!
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 was a voracious reader of the Harlequin Romance Novels. She would read a book a day! My father, not so much, but he was always really proud of my work. Unfortunately both of my parents have passed on. Both due to colon cancer, oddly enough. Which is why inside Lucky Sevens and Sins & Virtues respectively you’ll find a dedication to my father and mother. And as such a portion of the proceeds of those books goes towards colon cancer research at the end of each year.
Francis: What makes you proud of your books/life as a writer?
I am proud of completing each book. They each started as nothing more than a seed of an idea in my head and then they grew into full blown books. That should be every writer’s first goal…write the damn book! My writing career has had ups and downs but I persevere. And I can be proud of the fact that no matter how difficult the journey I never give up.
Francis: How do you come up with the initial concept of a book?
Honestly ideas generate in my head randomly and at the most inopportune moments. I got the idea for Sins & Virtues while visiting Alcatraz in San Francisco. And Resurrected came to me during a yoga class. My notebook is full of ideas that seemingly spring from nowhere and then I develop the keepers into full blown novels.
Francis: Who is your favorite author and what is it about them that you admire?
Dean Koontz is my absolute favorite author of all time. It was his novel INTENSITY that made me want to become a writer. I admire his use of pacing, of characterization, of story, everything. He moves you along in the story at just the right speed and ropes you in with great characters. I never get bogged down in heavy description or run on scenes from Koontz and I try to emulate that in my own writing.
Francis: Who designed the covers for your books, were you happy with result?
Early on the in-house cover designers created the covers for Demon Hunter and Sins and Virtues. I did have a hand in the overall idea but they handled the creation. When I got my rights back, and subsequent novels to follow, I self-published and I created my own covers. There are a few that have been through different editions but after research, study, and trial-and-error I am very happy with all my covers. I’ve received compliments on most of them so I actually started a side business, Original Cyn Creative Services, where I make covers for other authors as well.
Francis: What was the hardest part of being a writer?
The hardest part about being a writer is the marketing of your work. To me that is the necessary evil that no one sees but that you toil away at because without it you’re basically dead in the water. So you treat your writing career like any other business and you set up a plan and go forward with it day-to-day even when it feels like you’re treading water and nothing is stemming from your work. That is the difficult part, the not knowing. Writing is easy…and fun. Marketing, not so much.
Francis: Do you have any advice for other writers?
The first thing I tell authors who are just starting out and asking advice is this: write the book. There is no sense worrying about publishing and everything else until that book is written. Other than that, avoid the trends. By the time you finish your version of The Hunger Games the next big thing will already be around. Instead, why don’t you be the one who comes up with the next big thing!
Francis: Other than writing do you have any other interests, do they connect up with your writing?
I’m a former fitness competitor and personal trainer so I love to workout. I’ve used my competition experience in at least one of my novels. I also teach a workshop on how to write realistic fight scenes for novels that combines my fitness background and my writing background.
Francis: Are there any films that have influenced your writing? What kind of films do you like?
I’m a big movie buff! I watch all kinds of films because they tell stories on a visual platform, but they are stories nonetheless. And these days a lot of them are based on novels or comic books which is another form of storytelling. I like most types of films, action, comedy, fantasy, etc.
Francis: If your books were adapted into being films, which director dead or alive would you want to direct them? Which actors would you like in the films? What would be the overriding mood of the film?
We are currently in preproduction for a film version of my novel The Crescent so I am anxious and hopeful that it actually comes to fruition. Other than that I would love to have Quentin Tarantino be the director. This is a man who loves the art of movies and I love that he has put his own stamp on the film world.
For actors, I don’t know. It depends on which book is being turned into a movie.
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?
I try to socialize with other authors as much as possible. Writing is a very isolated and lonely career. You need to have a good circle of people around you to keep going. That being said I’ll give a shout out to my good friend Lizzie T Leaf whose writing has spice and humor…which is a rare blend!
Francis: which theme (for example death, misery, and torture) is most prevalent in your stories?
Probably death. In all honesty I had alot of tragedy plague my family at a young age, so alot of it is deep rooted in my past. Other than that I like to read darker tales like horror and dark fantasy.
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.
I’m going to go with A because of all the lions and other animals who are needlessly hunted and killed for sport. I’d let them take their revenge out on me rather than be shot by people I’ve run into who are probably undeserving or the horror of not being able to communicate with anyone around you while you’re dying.
Francis: Do you have a blog/website? Or other important links?