A Frank Conversation with an Indie Author
In this blog post I would like to spotlight author Javier Robayo. He's the brand of writer that has been known to assault and caress the human senses with mere words. His characters make you discover emotions that may have been buried deep and acknowledge inner struggles that have you immediately bond with the characters and their situations. I wanted to pick his mind if nothing more than to let readers get to know him better. Authors often seem mysterious and unapproachable, and even though Javier Robayo may like to be called mysterious, he most certainly is not unapproachable. I invite you to check out his novels and contact him with your impressions or questions at www.javierrobayoauthor.com
You've been writing for a long time.
Yes. At least twenty five years but officially only three at most.
Since you wrote The Gaze?
Correct.
Did you have any idea where you'd be after publishing your novel?
I honestly didn't look too far into the future. I'm still hoping
for a new review that tells me my novels are being read as if I had just
released it. I still feel like I released my three novels yesterday.
Four.
No. Three. I don't consider John&Ezekiel a
novel. That's a short story.
It's still published work. You're approaching the 20,000 view mark on your Out of the Mind of Javier A. Robayo blog. The blog itself is just over a
year old. What does that mean to you?
In terms of blogging, that's great, of course. I'd like to see
Gaze and Chapter readers match that number.
What's stopping you?
I am.
How so?
You know, the most time consuming part of the life of an Indie
writer is not the writing itself but the promotion. It's tough to keep up the
pace on the social networks and I'm always afraid of annoying friends. I've
learned of a few that unfriended me over the flood of promotional posts. I tend
to post a quote from the novel as well as reviews, but I try not to do it so
constantly. I have friends that are passionate about different things and
that's terrific, but I can only take so many posts about running so I totally
understand the need for moderation when it comes to promoting the novels.
What do other authors do?
A lot of us rely on Facebook groups and Twitter lists to promote
our work as well as everybody else's. It's a terrific source of support. At the
same time, sometimes it seems we are all stuck in the same circle of people and
we are not reaching anyone new and therefore we're not growing our audience.
There's a degree of obligation to support stories we won't read. Paranormal
authors are not interested in Historical Romances and Drama authors want little
to do with Sci-Fi stories, but we share and tweet and like one another in the
hopes of creating exposure and inviting new readers to take a chance on us.
Many authors give away their novels in exchange for exposure. I
have a hard time doing that. I give away my novels only when someone intends to
review it.
How important is a review?
Reviews are huge. A favorable review is a gift, a huge validation
of all the work that goes into writing. More than anything, it
"moves" the reviewed title out of the proverbial darkness. Even bad
reviews can be positive because it's saying someone has read it and cared
enough about it to post their thoughts. I kind of hope bad reviews dare other
readers to try to find out what was so bad about the novel.
Have you gotten bad reviews?
Yes. I got a two star review on The Gaze in Goodreads. The lady's
opinion was that the only redeeming pages of the story were the last twenty. I
also got a lengthy email that deemed me a good writer, but this reader liked
nothing whatsoever about the story. To this day it puzzles me.
Why?
Well, I don't get how anyone finishes a long book they absolutely
hated like she did. When I come across a novel I don't like, I simply put it
down. The Gaze is a big book. If I found Samantha so deplorable, I would've put
it down and forgotten about it.
On the grand scale, your novels have attained some rather amazing reviews.
I love every single one of them. I've been fortunate to get so
many great comments on my work.
Let's go back to when I asked you what's stopping you and you replied "I
am." Can you talk a little more about that?
Since writing Gaze, my life changed drastically. To write that
novel, I basically shut off the world and immersed into the writing. It took a
heavy toll on my social and family life. I had to work eight or sixteen hours a
day and the hours I wasn't working, I was writing.
I've pulled back a lot and I'm not writing with that same consistency because I'm trying to keep a balanced life. Work takes much of my time as it should, but I can't very well sit and write like I did before. My wife and daughters need me to be there for them.
Writing is not something you do for one hour out of the day, every
day for a week. I imagine that works for some people, but I really feel that in
order to produce the kind of writing worthy of a five star review, you have to
let the story and the characters' personality consume you. I often come
across novels that read well up to a certain point then I can almost feel the
author's struggle to simply finish the novel so they can go back to their life.
Are you disappointed with book sales?
Actually, no. I'm not. I mean, I would love to make a living with
my writing but that will only happen if a fraction of the US reads one of my
books. Reading a novel is a pretty big commitment. Few people have the time to
sit and read for the joy of it. It takes time and I know that. If money is what
motivates the writing, it typically doesn't go anywhere. People know when
they're reading a sell out novel.
When I wrote The Gaze, I just wanted one person to truly like it. In many ways, I wrote it for myself and didn't really think who I was writing it for. Many of my readers are my own personal cheerleaders and they've done their part talking friends and family into reading my novels. I can't thank them enough for that, and I really hope to gain new readers with each passing day.
What was it like to write from a female's point of view?
It was the biggest risk I've ever taken as a writer. I had to be as emotionally accurate as possible and as realistic in the hopes of giving Samantha a chance to connect with her female readers.
I think women in general are far more special than men. Their minds so much more complex, and I'd like to think I discovered the main drive behind a woman's actions is emotional.
I had to really be in touch with my feminine side. It was not easy in any stretch of the imagination, but Samantha Reddick practically wrote herself and she taught me so much along the way.
What is in store for your next project?
I've finally given in to the impulse to write a paranormal story. I recently lost two friends before their time. Their passing came at a time when I was pretty annoyed with life, and it gave me a whole new appreciation for life. I wrote "Requiem" as a way for me to deal with the sad fact that we will all meet the same end, and in the process, not only did I discover the resignation and acceptance necessary to view life as the gift it is. I also became determined to never waste a day feeling sorry for myself. Life is too precious a gift for that and we have an obligation to make each day the best it can be for ourselves and those we love. I hope Requiem conveys that message. I'm excited to see how it does with readers.
What about Requiem?
It's nearly done. I'm working closely with Beta readers to polish it up a little more.
No editor?
I hate to say it, but I'm not in a position to hire an editor right now. Requiem is a short, concise story and I'm confident I can produce a clean story. I learn new aspects of writing with each piece I write.
Okay, last but not least. Where's that promised sneak peek from My Two Flags 2?
The team gathers for one last chant, but
no one has much left in the tank after a full week of three-a-days.
“All in!” Andy orders as he takes a knee.
We all try to place our hands on his.
“Who are we!?”
“VIKINGS!” echoes in the air.
After we break the huddle, half of the
team collapses. Loose circles of prone bodies form around the fifty yard
line.
“I can’t feel my legs, Tony. Damn,”
“I can’t feel my legs, Tony. Damn,”
“I hurt the stomach.”
“You what?”
I point at my midsection. “I hurt.”
“You mean your abs hurt.”
I wince at my mistake. “Yeah.”
“You know we’re getting pads soon, right?”
“And helmet?”
“Yup. Hey, maybe I can have my dad drive
us to Grant’s so we can get our socks,” Tim offers.
“You’ve got to make the team first,
ladies.”
Tim and I merely roll our eyes at Brad
Copeland.
“Besides, I don’t think Grant’s takes spic
food stamps.”
I tense up the way I always do when
Copeland opens his mouth. I don't know what he's talking about, but I'm sure
it's some sort of insult.
“Hey, Copes." Tim calls. "What’d
you pay for those cheese ass gloves you got in your locker? Should use that
money on mouthwash and some breath mints, man. You're always tossing your
cookies on sprints.”
Copeland’s “Screw you,” is drowned by
laughter.
“Alright. Hit the showers. You guys reek,”
Coach Orson points out.
“I’ll see you tomorrow, Tim.”
Tim stops and smiles, shaking his head.
“Dude, no one’s going to grab your ass in the showers. It’s cool.”
“I don’t have to go too far. I shower at
home.”
“Tony, don’t give me that. You're more
nervous than a cat at the dog pound. It's cool. You’re going to see Pats,
aren't you? You think she’s going to want to see you all sweaty like this? If
you ain’t clean, how are you supposed to get at least a little hug from her?”
He bounces his eyebrows.
I hate to admit it, but Tim's got a point.
“I’d better like to shower at home.”
“You’d rather shower at home. I get it. But why is
it such a big deal? Didn’t you take showers in Ecuador?”
“Yes. But not with other boys.”
Tim flinches. “Alright. First off, we
ain’t boys. We are guys, dudes, even men. Stop saying boys.”
“But we are. We are boys, no?”
Tim looks impatient. “Dude, it’s not cool
to say ‘boys’ okay?”
I nod.
“Just say guys. It sounds a hell of a lot
better than boys.”
“But—”
“No! Don’t you say it, Speedy.” he warns,
using my nickname to emphasize the point.
I laugh. “Okay, okay. Guys.”
I don’t know why but when anyone else
calls me Speedy, after the famed cartoon Mexican mouse in the Bugs Bunny
shorts, I’m quick to clench my jaw in anger except when Tim says it. In fact,
he told me I should be flattered since I was one of the fastest players on the
team.
“Good. Now, this ain’t prissy, prim, and
proper Ecuador. Alright? This is good old U.S. of A. and it’s cool to take a
shower after football practice with the guys. Unless…”
“Unless? What means unless?”
Tim sighs. “Never mind. You’re not ready
for this yet.”
“What?”
“Never mind. Just trust me. Chicks don’t
dig sweaty guys.”
“Dig?”
“Man, just clean up so you can go see your
chick!”
“She’s my friend.”
“Whatever you want to believe. C’mon.”
Tim threatened to drag me into the shower
if I hesitated again. After the most uncomfortable five minutes of my life, I
make my way to my locker, careful to keep myself covered and still in shock.
The boys—make that the guys—joked and talked while showering as though it was
so normal to stand naked before everyone else.
Some even engaged in horseplay, which
horrified me. I can't even use the urinals unless no one is around and even
then I'm anxious about someone else coming to stand at the urinal next to me.
Using the bathroom, showering, even
changing clothes was one of the most private of rituals when I lived in
Ecuador. Showering in the company of several other naked guys was completely
out of the question.
“See?” Tim sits next to me, blissfully
oblivious of his nakedness. “It’s all good. Now you’re kind of clean. Didn’t
your mom ever tell you to wash behind your ears?”
I chuckle nervously. “It’s new to me. In
Ecuador—”
“Yeah, I know, bro.” He stops me. “It’s
all different and you’re supposed to act like this and like that, but guess
what? You ain’t there no more. Okay?”
