Romance, Fantasy, and Magic Blog Author
Interview
 |
| Guillermo Paxton, Author |
Today
I have the honor and pleasure of having a good friend and fellow author visiting us on
Romance, Fantasy, and Magic Blog. He's the author of the amazing, interesting,
and incredible book The Plaza, Guillermo Paxton.
Welcome
Guillermo, could you tell us a little bit about yourself.
I first started writing when I was in
school, but just for fun, not assignments. I wrote a lot of poetry and short
stories. When I was twenty-something I started a novel and everyone who had
read the first few chapters told me that I should write for a living- haha,
write FOR a living. I really liked that people enjoyed reading what I wrote so
I finished the novel and sold it to a few people and never had it published.
Years later, living in Juarez, Mexico, I was touched personally by the violence
of the drug war and decided to write a fictional piece that portrayed what my
family and I were seeing and living through. My family supports me 100% and
they think I have a lot of talent, but I realize that they are biased-too bad
the wife is not a literary agent. As far as my ideas, well, my imagination and
heart of a kid makes for more ideas than time to write them all.
Can you tell us a little about your book?
The Plaza
is “factional”, or fiction based on fact. I’ll let Saul, the reporter, tell
you.
“I’ve
been a reporter for years, and a resident of Juarez, Mexico all of my life.
I’ve never seen anything like it. No one thought the drug war would be like
this. My town has become the battleground for drug cartels. Even the police are
being killed on a daily basis. Bands of teenagers working as paid assassins
& extortionists are hitting every business, no matter how small. Things I
took for granted like going to a restaurant, getting a haircut, or even an
evening at the movies with my family put all of our lives in danger. Robberies
and public executions have become common place. Now when I report only five
homicides in twenty-four hours, it is considered a good day.” – Saul Saavedra,
crime reporter for The Juarez Daily in THE PLAZA.
What is your
writing process?
Write
it all and then try to sort it out later.
What was
the hardest part for you working on your book?
The investigations of the brutal crimes
were difficult, and put my life on the line several times over.
What
influenced or inspired you to write?
I was inspired to write “THE PLAZA” because of the
many reporters in Mexico that have died covering the drug war violence, and
more specifically the death of Armando Rodriguez of El Diario de Juarez.
Was there
a scene that you didn’t add or remove in your finished work?
Yes, several scenes about the federal police that
didn’t fit with the book- they may turn into another book later. I need to get
back at them for having beat me up (no, really) and being lying, murdering and
treacherous bastards.
Do
you have a favorite character (from you're book)? Why?
Saul Saavedra is definitely the hero, a
reporter who lives on the edge trying to get out the stories that may change
his country for the better.
Do you
already know what to do next?
I do.
Where can
we find more about you and your books?
I recommend my website and my blog on goodreads.com.
Do
you have any last words?
I certainly hope not! I want to be
around at least long enough to see THE PLAZA be a best seller or a movie.
I want to give you my thanks for allowing me to have this interview. I also wish you lots of success with your book. I do look forward to seeing the movie.
