Hello and welcome to my blog, Author Interviews. My name is Fiona Mcvie.

Let’s get you introduced to everyone, shall we? Tell us your name. What is your age?

My name is JD Santibáñez. I am sixty years old.

Fiona: Where are you from?

I am from Guayaquil, Ecuador.

Fiona: A little about yourself (ie, your education, family life, etc.).

I am a graphic designer, illustrator, novel and comicbook author. I am a teacher at a local university. Divorced, four children. I only feel alive when I am creating.

Fiona: Tell us your latest news.

I am writing a sequel to my novel The Magician. It’s called Dead Eyes. It’s a supernatural thriller. And my sequel to Execute Tomorrow, calledExecute Power, will be published at Amazon pretty soon.

Fiona: When and why did you begin writing?

I have always been creating. Always telling stories through comic books, but never actually acquired the discipline of sitting in front of a computer and write full, complete stories, until 1998, more or less.

Fiona: When did you first consider yourself a writer?

I was in a three-year writing workshop with a great local writer. I learned a lot from him and my classmates. I was writing stories every day. I knew, then, I was a writer.

Fiona: What inspired you to write your first book?

I always liked futuristic, dystopian stories. And I always wanted to write one. I love science fiction, but ground-based science fiction, if you could call it that.

 Fiona: How did you come up with the title?

I always liked Mickey Spillane titles: I, The Jury; Kiss me, deadly. They have a great sound to them. In my first novel there is Government police which people call The Executioners. The story is in the future, so Execute Tomorrow fit.

Fiona: Do you have a specific writing style? Is there anything about your style or genre that you find particularly challenging?

I have always been influenced by film. I write very “visually” and really enjoy writing dialogs. That is actually what I write first in any scene.

Fiona: How much of the book is realistic and are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life?

There is always corruption, bad politics, murder and evil everywhere. So to think up a dystopian society is not so hard. We see the bad stuff that surround us and just make it bigger and worse. And we put our protagonists in this world of ongoing conflicts.

Fiona: To craft your works, do you have to travel? Before or during the process?

I mostly write urban fantasy and futuristic noir. They are based on what I know, places I have been, mixed with imaginary stuff.So I don’t actually need to travel to write my stories.

Fiona: Who designed the covers?

I do it myself. Being a graphic designer becomes handy.

Fiona: Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

There is always hope. No matter how bad things are, there is a possibility of triumph.

Fiona: Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest?  Who is your favorite writer, and what is it about their work that really strikes you?

I have had many favorite writers over the years: Lawrence Sanders, Robert Daley, William Goldman, William Caunitz. They are not with us anymore, unfortunately. Live ones: Dennis Lehane, Daniel Suarez, Felix J. Palma, Stephen King, Michael Connelly. I follow some booktubers to find and read new talent, but most of them talk about medieval fantasy and space opera books. I prefer Noir. Classic or Futuristic.

Fiona: Outside of family members, name one entity that supported your commitment to become a published author.

A close friend gave me $1000 as a present so I could publish my first book. I will never forget. She really understood what writing meant to me.

Fiona: Do you see writing as a career?

I would love to earn a living from it.

Fiona: If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book?

No. When I finish a book, I don’t want to go back to it.

Fiona: Did you learn anything during the writing of your recent book?

You should never leave a novel unfinished. It’s too hard to come back to it and follow a story you began long ago.

 Fiona: If your book was made into a film, who would you like to play the lead?

I always envisionedEsai Morales playing the protagonist of my dystopian novels.

 Fiona: Any advice for other writers?

Just write. Don’t stop, ever. And read like crazy.

Fiona: Anything specific you want to tell your readers?

Give a chance to new, independent authors.

Fiona: What book are you reading now?

Control, by William Goldman. Rereading it, actually.

Fiona: Do you remember the first book you read?

Not by name. They were very short pulp novels. Science Fiction, Crime, Westerns. I read maybe six or more a week.

Fiona: What makes you laugh/cry?

Laugh: a good stand-up. Cry: so many bad movies today.

Fiona: Is there one person, past or present, you would love to meet? Why?

Stephen King. The king of genre writers.

Fiona: Do you have any hobbies?

Watching movies, reading good comics and novels. Nothing out of what I love.

Fiona: What TV shows/films do you enjoy watching?

I recently watched The Boys, based on the comic book by the same name. Quite entertaining. I also liked Preacher and The Umbrella Academy, based also on comic books. Too Old to Die Young, the Nicolas Winding Refn TV neon-noir series. Anything that’s well done, that has great dialogue and acting.

Fiona: Favorite foods, colors, music?

Food: Anything healthy.

Color: Blue.

Music:80’s music. Hall & Oates, Guns n Roses, ACDC, Michael Jackson, David Bowie.Hewie Lewis and The News, Blondie.

Fiona: Imagine a future where you no longer write. What would you do?

I would draw. A lot.

Fiona: You only have 24 hours to live.How would you spend that time?

With my loved ones. My children.

Fiona: What do you want written on your head stone?

When the going gets tough, the tough get going.

Fiona: Do you have a blog or website readers can visit for updates, events and special offers?

My books are at Amazon USA

https://www.amazon.com/JD-Santibanez/e/B00GM82G6A?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_5&qid=1565066139&sr=8-5

UK https://www.amazon.co.uk/J-D-Santibanez/e/B00GM82G6A?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1&qid=1565514325&sr=1-1

 And a Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/JD-Santib%C3%A1%C3%B1ez-Author-1003199819742068/