The Literary Vixen presents…
Joining us today is Tony Reyes! Author of the Waiting for Darkness series.
How long have you been writing?
I was into writing stories as a kid, junior high and high school, but it was just something I did in my room when an idea popped into my head. They were horrible stories, but it was a beginning. I started writing more seriously in my 20s, mainly short films and screenplays. I wrote and shot several short films, but found myself bound by budget, so I decided to concentrate on one of my screenplays and turn it into a novel. That is what finally became Waiting for Darkness.
Describe a typical writing day.
I haven’t been writing lately (neck deep in research) but when I do, I usually start writing when everyone in the house has gone to sleep, I kill all the lights, turn off the TV, airplane mode and the only music I will listen to is classical, no lyrics allowed. I found I will sing along if I play pop music, so I found I basically listen to what the soundtrack would be if the story was a movie. With my particular style of writing, the music of choice is usually Holsts The Planets, or maybe Barber: Adagio for Strings.
Where do you get your inspiration for your books?
The classics. I just always wanted to be able to paint pictures with words the way my favorite writers did. Twain, Poe, Lovecraft, Orwell, etc…
What are some challenges that have come up during your writing and publishing journey?
The amount of rejections you get, both with screenplays and novels can be devastating. You have to just keep plugging away, that is what they say. You can’t take it personal, but after a while it does feel that way. Since I was never able to find an open door to walk through, I decided to just self publish so at least I would have a copy on my bookshelf.
When you’re writing an emotionally draining (or sexy, or sad, etc) scene, how do you get in the mood?
By the time I get to writing I have probably talked the scene out in my head over and over again. I work it out like a movie scene. Have to be alone for this or people will look at your strangely J So by the time I get to writing I just go back to that place I was when I was feeling the scene and I run with it.
If you had to describe yourself in three words, what would they be?
Stubborn, creative, and MacGyverish (I can pretty much fix anything)
What do you hope your readers take away from this book?
My biggest hope is that when the close the book, just for a second, they thing “Could Darklings really exist?”
Are you working on anything at the present you would like to share with me?
I am researching book 3, which will end this cycle of the story. But I have plans in the world, one offs, spin offs, prequels, etc.
What advice would you give to other aspiring authors?
Make time to write, the best thing for me is NaNoWriMo, where you committed to writing at least 1000 words a day. That is really a great discipline to have. I wish I could say I was able to continue that pace. Life seems to get in the way.
What is the one thing you want people to know about you and your books?
That I am a fan of story, especially with a dark twist to it. I love the craft of piecing together scenes that take the reader on a journey. I love the idea that I write the story and every time someone reads it, they have a different movie in their mind’s eye that someone else may have had. No matter when someone cracks the book open they travel in time to the point I was writing the story, probably in the middle of the night in my underwear, it is like I am the screenwriter and the reader is the director with carte blanche. No two readers ever have the same vision, they all have their own spin on it. From characters to locale, I can give them the bones and they flesh the visual out. I love that idea.
Thank you Tony Reyes for chatting with me! I will include his information down below. Check out his Waiting for Darkness series today!
~Synopsis~
Cruz Espinoza, a brilliant young surgeon, has his life ripped from him as he is pulled into the supernatural world of the Darkling. Cruz looks for answers to millennia old questions. Where did the Vampire myth come from? Who gave them these powers? And why? He finds the answers, answers that shake his faith.
~Synopsis~
Cruz Espinoza – A Darkling seeking redemption for the sins of his past, vows to rid the world of the Firstborns. The Brotherhood – A secret organization formed centuries ago to eliminate these creatures of darkness. Firstborns – The most powerful of the Darkling bloodline and the most dangerous. From the underground closes of Edinburgh, Scotland to the Gothic churches of Cologne, Germany, Cruz searches for the cryptic lost relic of the Fallen. But he isn’t alone in his quest, a mysterious Firstborn, known only as Lilith, lurks in the shadows seeking the same artifact that, in her hands, would certainly put the future of humanity in jeopardy. From the knights of the Middle Ages to modern day soldiers, warriors have secretly battled against the Darkling, protecting mankind. Now the war comes to its inevitable climax. Will Cruz stop Lilith’s reign of Darkness?
With over 30 years of television/film experience, Tony Reyes has had the opportunity of working almost every job the industry offers. All of these positions have pointed in one direction, Storytelling. Several completed screenplays later, he decided to turn one into a novel. “Waiting for Darkness” became that first novel.
When Tony isn’t writing scripts or working on a novel, free time is spent dedicated to his kids, reading anything in sight and, playing and building guitars.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tony_reyes_author/
The Literary Vixen 