I am here today with author Rudy Lopes who contacted me recently about appearing in an interview on my blog. Here he is. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Rudy. Welcome! The floor is yours!

Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1639844384/

Website: rudylopes.com

Social media links:
https://www.instagram.com/rudylopesauthor/
https://www.facebook.com/RudyLopesAuthor
https://twitter.com/RudyLopes5
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/36808756.Rudy_Lopes
https://www.amazon.com/stores/Rudy-Lopes/author/B0C55NGY4Y

Please tell us something about yourself.

I’m a web developer by trade, born and raised in NYC. I’ve moved around a bit and now reside in Indiana. I’m also a voracious reader, averaging 96 books a year over the past five years.

jspina: That is wonderful! I am a voracious reader too! It’s a good basis for writing.

When did you know that you wanted to be an author? 

My mother started the school library in our local private elementary school, and I spent many an hour there before I was old enough for kindergarten. Further, our house was filled with novels, particularly science fiction and westerns. So, from a very young age I was surrounded by books and encouraged to read.

When I started school, I found I had a certain talent for the written word which, for many years, restricted itself to essays and academic papers. It was in my college years, exposed to real fantasy writers for the first time, that I began to entertain the notion of writing. Of course, at the time I told myself writing was too hard and, apart from an occasional short story attempt, it remained only a pipe dream.

It wasn’t until I moved to Indiana that the idea of writing crystallized. I was sheltering in an office basement against a tornado warning and chatting with coworkers about our bucket lists. After some thought, I realized I wanted to be published and that wouldn’t happen unless I started writing. A vivid dream I’d had earlier gave me the beginnings of a story, and the rest is history. (Or, rather, fantasy!)

jspina: That is wonderful! If we don’t start, we will never know if we can write. Good for you!

What process do you need in order to write? 

I start with a basic story idea or scenario. It might be a bare premise, or a dream I had, or something that caught my eye in my daily life.

Next, I create a scratch document – a bulleted list of any and all ideas related to the story. Here I include plot concepts, names, characters, and anything else that comes to mind. A good chunk of the scratch document never makes it into the novel, but it’s where my thoughts and ideas evolve and grow.

When the time is right (i.e., no undue work or life stresses) I launch into writing. I try to write something every day, going so far as to record my daily progress on a spreadsheet. Seeing the inexorable march towards 90,000 words is at the same time both daunting and encouraging, but I get there eventually.

jspina: Yes, 90K is quite daunting but it a goal that will keep you moving along.

How do you come up with ideas for your stories?

Mystics of Sonoduhl began with a dream – a vivid, fully-formed scene that eventually became the last chapter of Act One. A stray line in that novel became the setting for the sequel (already drafted and in editing!) The urban fantasy novel’s premise came from a wisecrack about a Florida timeshare’s name. Ideas abound and we just need to recognize and seize them.

jspina: Sometimes a dream is where it all begins.

What projects are you currently working on?

I’ve wrapped up the first draft of my sequel, Heirs of Sonoduhl, and am working on edits. I’ve also begun the first draft of my as-yet untitled urban fantasy novel, and am building scratch documents for ideas about other novels to come.

Jspina: Good luck with the sequel, Rudy.

What do you expect to accomplish in 2023 and 2024?

I plan on publishing my fantasy sequel Heirs of Sonoduhl and the untitled urban fantasy novel. I also intend to finish the first draft of my next novel, but I haven’t decided whether it will be another Sonoduhl story or a science fiction idea I’ve been pondering.

Jspina: Enjoy the drafting of your next novel. That is where all the fun is, the rest is more work, editing and fine tuning it.

What hobbies do you have when you are not writing?

I have a guitar sitting next to my computer, so I’ll often pick it up and play around while I think about writing. I’m a big fan of Star Trek and British shows like Doctor Who and Sherlock, so I spend (too much) time streaming. I’ve retired my glove and bat, but still watch baseball when I can. (Go Yankees!) And, of course, there is always reading.

Jspina: We all need a diversion to spark our creativity with something new. I bet you get a lot of ideas from watching those shows.

What is your target audience for your book?

Fans of classic epic fantasy like Lord of the Rings or the Shannara series or newer authors like Naomi Novik would enjoy my Sonoduhl stories. They involve regular people in extraordinary circumstances, struggling to live up to too-high expectations.

Jspina: Sounds intriguing. I’m sure all those fantasy fans out there will be interested.

Please share your books with us and a synopsis of each.

Mystics of Sonoduhl:
Maghrurio is a middle-aged nobody working for Abner, the magical Mystic of Decra. When a fiery explosion fatally injures Abner, he asks Maghrurio with his dying breath to find his assassin. He also makes Maghrurio the newest Mystic.

With no magical training or skills, Maghrurio has his work cut out for him. He must venture forth to bring the assassin to justice while avoiding the clutches of a power-hungry duke. Accompanied by Abner’s housekeeper and an apothecary he barely knows, Maghrurio must overcome his crippling self-doubt to prevent the destruction of the Mystic order. Along the way he uncovers a startling possibility – the assassin may be a Mystic himself.

Please share your links and where to purchase your books.

Amazon – https://www.amazon.com/dp/1639844384/

B&N – https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/mystics-of-sonoduhl-rudy-lopes/1143423990

What advice would you give prospective authors?

DO IT! Seriously. It doesn’t matter if you’ve never written before, or if you’re a poor speller. Get your story down on paper. Also, find yourself a writing group where you can communicate with other writers. Check your local public library. If there isn’t a writing group, start one yourself.

Jspina: Sound advice, Rudy. I think all writers out there need a little push to get started, but once we do we are on a roll and never stop.

Thank you so much, Rudy, for stopping by to share a little about yourself and your books. It was a pleasure to meet you. Please keep in touch and stop by again with more news about your current work.

Thank you, readers, for stopping by to read this post. Please check out this author’s books and give him a little support. We all need that.

Blessings & Hugs! Stay Safe, Stay Well and God Bless!

READING GIVES YOU WINGS TO FLY! SOAR WITH JEMSBOOKS ALL YEAR THROUGH! HAPPY READING!

Janice Spina aka J.E. Spina

Award-Winning Author

Jemsbooks for All Ages!

Jemsbooks.com

Jemsbooks.blog

Jjspina(at)comcast(dot)net

AMAZON.COM AUTHOR PAGE (All books)

AMAZON.COM JE SPINA NOVELS PAGE

AMAZON.CO.UK

BARNES & NOBLE