FRANCIS : Where were you born/where did you grow up, did
you have an easy childhood?
I was born in San Diego, California. Had a
great childhood. I was the only child for ten years and then two brothers came
along in two consecutive years. We’re very close.
Give
some background information about yourself, are you generally an optimistic
person or pessimistic?
I’m pretty much an optimist. Things can
happen but I’ve always been able to deal with the dark stuff. I just move on.
Francis:
Tell us your latest news, what are your current projects?
I write in a genre that I call Border Pulp.
The stories take place on or around the Mexican/American Border. I use the same
characters in and around the various stories.
I have two novellas and three short stories
on amazom, Kindle. I have a novel currently being read by an editor the uses
characters that appear in my published work. It’s Action Adventure with some
paranormal. I also have a novel that takes place in WW2. It’s a werewolf story
that ends right after that war.
Francis:When and why did you begin
writing? How does your present day work compare to what you wrote then?
I
started dabbling a few years ago and got a few things published in some small
journals. Finally I took some classes at the University of California in
Irvine, California. There I learned structure and form. My current work is much
better, but practice improves everything. My current work is much better and
offers me a much better marketing tool.
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?
My current material is action adventure and
I have been thinking of doing a children’s book. But I’m more interested I
using animals as my metaphorical tool.
Francis:
Have you ever been flattered by a comparison to a well-known author or by a
review?
In my writing group my mentor tells me I
should stop writing like Hemingway, in short choppy sentences. It’s a style I
like and still do as long as it helps the story cadence.
I’ve gotten several reviews, two great ones
by the number two reviewer on amazon and a great blurb written by Mark
Onspaugh, a writer, who has published several books.
Francis: What inspired you to write your
first book?
My first inspiration came out as a short
story when someone broke into our ranch house and took food and money. My
younger brother Ed put a pistol in his pocket and went after them. While he was
tracking them he bumped into a California Highway Patrol Office and they both
caught the thieves. There were three.
Francis : Do you have a trademark writing
style, what makes your work recognizable?
People
say I have a style. I’m not quite sure what it is.
Francis
: Do you write short stories? If so how do they differ to your novels?
I’ve written about thirty early on and
now I’m in the process of rewriting them. Three are on amazon.
Francis:
How did you come up with the titles of your books?
I keep them short for the sake of the cover. I usually do several and then take
thm to my reading group and then we debate on which one. But I will always make
the final decision.
Francis:
Are there any messages in your novels, if so what?
I write only to entertain. But in many of
my stories I use nature as a device for either good or evil or as a paranormal
development.
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 are based on events in my life or on
people I have met. Our ranch is on the border and that’s where my stories take
place. You can’t help but being influenced by that area that’s rich in both
supernatural and danger.
Francis : What books have most influenced your life the most? Are some of these
books, different to your own genre of writing?
I read Cormac McCarthy a lot and his
writing had been influential on me and my work.
Francis: Are you sometimes shocked by
some of your own writing/ideas?
Sometimes I come up with off the wall stuff and get nervous when I read it to the
group. What’s strange is that the crazy stuff is accepted so readily.
Francis:
Do you see writing as a career?
I’d like to think of it as a career, but
that would be a long way off.
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?
Rocky is my main character who appears
in most of my stories. He’s a disabled U.S. Marine who lost an arm and now
works as a hitter. He’s tough but vulnerable and has redeeming qualities.
Francis: Were your parents avid readers, have your family played a part in your
writing career? How do they feel about your work?
My father has passed on, but he read all
the time, and built a library room in the ranch house. He had shelves and
shelves of booksthat he read many times
over. I picked that up from him.
Francis:
What makes you proud of your books/life as a writer?
The fact that I’m creating something
that I might leave behind after I’m gone.
Francis:
How do you come up with the initial concept of a book?
I’m starting on now and it’s hell. My first level
stuff is being rewritten and I’m on my fourth opening and doing more. Got to
build tension, tension, tension and conflict in the type of stories I want to
write. You’ve got to tell yourself -it’s not working do it again. And that’s
how it goes.
Francis:
Who is your favorite author and what is it about them that you admire?
Cormac McCarthy, he get’s dark and deep and can
tell a wonderful story. It’s got to be a good story.
Francis: Who designed the covers for your books, were you happy with result?
I was an Ad Agencyart director for many years. I do my own
covers and have established a branded look.
Francis:
What was the hardest part of being a writer?
Making yourself write. There’s always a
million things to do before you write. Just write.
Francis: Do you have any advice for other writers?
Read the best you can find. Listen to
criticism, it’s most often well meant. Work with an editor and keep writing.
Francis:
Other than writing do you have any other interests; do they connect up with
your writing?
When I had more time I was an amateur
archeologist. My brothers and I would hike to find Indian campgrounds and old
stage coach roads.
Francis:
Are there any films that have influenced your writing? What kind of films do
you like?
My favorite film is The Wild Bunch. I
have a cope of the script, which I look at accasionally.The film was gritty like the way I think I
write. Good movie.
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?
Rocky – Johnny Depp. Because it happens
in Mexico a director like Robert Rodiguiz, or Quentin Tarantino would be my
choices.
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 desrve
recognition?
Dennis Copelan is writing a series about
Hollyweird. His father was a Hollywood editor. His email is: djcopelan@cox.net
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.
I’ll take B, hoping that they’re good
shots.
Francis:
Do you have a blog/website? Or other important links?
