This week, allow me to introduce you to Tony Reyes who stopped by to tell me a little about his writing. Let's get right to it!
32 years of working in television, telling stories in 30 second bursts in promotion and in two minute packages in News. I decided to jump into novel writing by converting a screenplay I wrote years ago. Once the first one was released I got enough feedback to want to do a sequel, and I'm working on book 3.
What genre do you write?
I don't have a clear cut genre I live in. My novels are supernatural thrillers, but I have screenplays that are biopics as well as historical. I have a screenplay that tells the story of the Aztecs and the truth behind all the myths and smearing.
What got you into writing your own stories? When I was a teenager I got to be an extra in the Television Mini Series "The North and the South". I was a 15 year old talking to every 'behind the scenes" person I could find willing to indulge me. I told them my love for movies and moviemaking and would take any advice. The overwhelming response was "start writing" so I started paying attention in my Lit class a bit more and starting writing little stories here and there. Then I wrote several screenplays over the years to no avail. I decided I wanted to convert on story to novel form because i wanted to get into the head of the main character.
Tell us about your WIP.
Right now I am working on Book 3 of the Waiting for Darkness Series. I usually research a good year or two for each book, but this one has taken a bit longer.
How would you describe your writing style?
I enjoy non linear storytelling, though not all are that, it does seem to stick around.
What comes more easily, plot or characters?
Plot. I am an avid Movie nut, and I love a good plot twist. So most of my stories start out from the plot twist. So I guess the answer is plot.
Do you cross over genres or do you only stick to one?
Cross for sure, nothing I have ever written has been easy to put into a genre box.
What is your "writer's den" like?
A laptop and a pitch black room.
How do you get into the flow for writing? Do you have any rituals?
Other than airplane mode on my devices, not really.
What is your personally most significant achievement as a writer, and why? I was hired to write a bio pic for a local Rapper here in Houston. It put a little bit of money in my pocket and got me into collaborating with real life people and telling their story. Unfortunately it got lost in production when the subject went back to prison. SMH.
What would be the greatest achievement for you to aim for as a writer if anything were possible? Getting Waiting for Darkness back into production would be huge. But turning Waiting for Darkness into a long running series, though not all about this main character, I have built a world where already I have a dozen separate novels I could spin into.
What are you most grateful for as a writer? The readers, it means so much to me when I find people who have read my books. To feel that it touched them, or moved them, or just gave them a good escape. That is hard to beat. To know that that happened with a story I wrote in my underwear in the middle of the night, is pretty cool. And I like the idea of the collaboration between the reader and me, I always go back to it being like a movie in their mind, I am the writer and they are the director. So every reading of the book is different, every reader has a different point of view and style they can add.
Do you have a day job? What is it? I have been working in TV since high school. Wasn't a career I picked, just one I kind of stayed in.
Has a real-life experience informed your writing? Share the scene it inspired. My books have a lot of history in them, perhaps a bit twisted, but what I draw from my personal life is the love story. Alot of the scenes between Cruz and Michelle are real things that I was a part of, some of them were tweaked to fit, but the essence is from my life.
Do you read the same genre you write? Why, or why not? I like dark stories, supernatural or real life, but I bounce around quite a bit.
Do you read fellow indie authors' works? Why or why not? Most of the reading I do is research, but I do try to support indie authors when something jumps out at me.
Is there an author who inspires you? Gary Jennings was the first author that really got me into painting pictures with words. Aztec changed me. His intensive research really inspired me to strive for his level of study. I have all of his books and have read all but one. He passed in the 90s, so I don't want to ever have a point when I don't have something new to read from him. But I am really tempted to read it.
Give us three fun facts about yourself. I play guitar and build and customize them. Not sure if that is fun for you, but it is fun for me.
I was in a TV mini series as a teen.
I have gotten to meet dozens and dozens of celebrities, and I truly believe it s best not to meet your heroes. Except Lou Ferrigno, he hung out in my edit suite for 3 hours, he was amazing.
What is something about you that few people know? I fell in love with Kim Wilde at 12 years old and have always followed her career. She even mentioned me on the radio once. Of course it was across the pond, but hey she said my name :)
Do you have any hobbies? Custom Guitars is my biggest, but I also enjoy building models and props. I like to use my hands to make things from nothing.
What's your favorite holiday?
Halloween...of course.
What's your favorite season? Fall
Do you have pets? Kupid my American Bulldog.
Featured Book: Waiting for Darkness
Why would you like to feature this book?
I just want to get the story out there and introduce people to this world I created.
What's your favourite review of Waiting for Darkness?
This book was absolutely riveting! If I'd had a little more time, I would have read this book in one sitting. I find the main character Cruz to be quite likable and realistic in nature. The authors knowledge of the medical field and terms, etc. seems to be quite extensive and impressive. From the beginning of the book, I was captivated. We meet Cruz and his wife and they have the perfect relationship. The passion and love between them was deep and it was depicted in a clear and real manner. This makes what happens all the more tragic. I felt the pain of loss right along with Cruz. As Cruz life changes for the worst, and he doesn't know why or even what he has become, we follow him on a journey, but is it revenge, redemption or destruction? The author creates a mysterious and wise mentor for Cruz, and there is definitely more to him than meets the eye. This book was fast paced and filled with action. There are twists and turns that you won't see coming. The story line is wildly creative and the delivery was superb. The author gives enough details for a clear and concise description of the characters and their surroundings. The development of the supernatural world and the darklings was amazing and I can't wait to read the second book.
“Don’t ask me questions,” Cruz pauses and looks deep into her eyes, “There are things you should not know.”
Who was your favorite character to write and why? Cruz. My main character. He evolved for me over time, first he started this hard boiled cop who got pulled into this world. But there was no contrast in his arc. Once I turned him to a doctor who really cared, then I got the inner turmoil I needed.
What was your favorite scene to write and why? The climax was satisfying for me. For all the things Cruz learned in the story to come together and come into focus felt good.
What was the spark that started Waiting for Darkness? When I was a kid I loved monster movies, I vowed to write about three of them, but make them believable and real. Less supernatural and more scientifically explained. I started with the vampire....guess I need to start on the werewolves or Frankenstein soon :)
What was the most interesting random fact you researched for this book? I needed to find vampires in an old book, maybe religious. Then I stumbled on something in the bible that fit perfectly. One definition for the term meant "more powerful after death" tell me that doesn't sound like a vampire
What's the message you worked into this book?
True love is real, but can it be forever?
Find out more about Tony Reyes here.