Author Interview ~*~ Alberto Arcia

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 Twitter party: July 19th at 7 PM 

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Today, We are welcome Alberto Arcia to Illustrious Illusions   He has graciously answered a few interview questions so we can get to know him better!   Check out what he has to say and show him some love by leaving a comment ;-)

Questions ~*~

1. Favorite TV show when you were younger?   I'm going to have to date myself here.  It was Rod Serlings Twilight Zone.

2. What would we find if we looked under your bed?  My stash box.

3. Book Store or Library?  Book Store - I love to shop for books, and dislike the clinical atmosphere of a library.

4. If you could write another genre, what would it be?   My forte is bawdy, politically and socially incorrect adult humor, but I'm fixing to begin a novel in a new genre aimed at young adults.  Fiction/Fantasy -  It's titled "The Adventures of the Danube Sisters." My audience is not going to like it.  There's no sex in it.

5.  What's on your bucket List? Eiffel Tower - I've been to France before but never to Paris, and I've always associated the tower as a romantic structure imbedded in the heart of the city of love.  That's next in line.

6. How did you come up with the title? Well, if we're talking about my new novel which is coming out in August, "An Ill Wind That Blows No Good," the credit belongs to my ex-wife, Beverly.  During a brainstorming session, she came up with it.  The story is about a guy who is trying to reach a goal, and Murphy's Law keeps getting in his way.  She told me that you can tell by his companions, and what's he's trying to accomplish (archeological adventure tours in Mexico) that he was going to have a hard time succeeding. The title fits the story very nicely. 

7. Can you share a little of your current work with us? Sure, An Ill Wind That Blows No Good  is a novel for adult readers.  It’s hilarious throughout, and I do not not spare you any blushes.  It's the type of novel that a reader will either love and pass on to friends, or end up in flames. Simply throwing it into a waste basket will not be satisfying enough.  My style of writing is sexually provocative, humorous, and immensely politically incorrect.  Due to my particular representation of masculine behavior in my previous two novels, Gary J. Peterson, in an essay titled New West or Old? Men and Masculinity in Recent Fiction by Western American Men has labeled me as a misogynist and homophobic writer.  Everyone has an opinion, so we'll give him his, but what I really am is a writer of adult humor laced with a nice male Hispanic touch.

8. Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?  Yes, keeping the storyline and dialog from offending so many.  The purpose of my novels is not only to make the reader laugh, but to touch his sensitive buttons. I make fun of myself, my gender, my nationality, and my culture through Alex.  If I can laugh at myself, why can't you when I make jest of your sexual persuasion or cultural injection.  I'm not trying to insult women, gays, Mexicans, French, Panamanians, Cajuns or even the Swiss.  But I do poke them, and sometimes really hard.  But it's all in fun.  If you carry your heart in your sleeve, you will not enjoy my humor.

9. Who is your favorite author and what is it that really strikes you about their work? Ernest Hemmingway.  His portrayal of a writer's life in Europe injected me with passion for travel and adventure.  To this day, the goal is to reach his lifestyle.    

10. Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers? Yes.  My novels are not works of literature. They are not written to impress you or guide you anywhere.  My whole purpose is to make you laugh, and I do it by undressing all the taboos our culture is uptight about.  I'm not insensitive to the readers's sensitivities, and it's unfair to say that I resort to mysoginy and homophobia to get my laughs.   

11.What were the challenges (research, literary, psychological, and logistical) in bringing it to life? An Ill Wind that Blows No Good is nothing more than a third attempt to record my memories.  The whole project consist of five books.  Cut & Run was the first one, In Search of High Ground is the second, one.  The spychological strain was put to bed once some people died, and others divorced.  That was necessary before I could start the process.  More have to die before I can continue.  These books have around 30% truth in them, the rest is unbriddled comedy.  The research consisted of remembering the stories I wanted to tell, and making sure I could.  I had to look at a few maps to get the logistics right.    

12  Quickly, give us the title and genre of your book and a 30-word or less tagline: An Ill wind That Blows No Good is Fiction Adult Humor.  The story is about a scoundrel who is obsessed with the female form. Caution: My novels are not to be read while holding a glass of wine in your hand.

       

13. Who is your intended audience and why should they read your book?  My target audience are adults with a balanced sense of humor.  This book, along with the two previous ones are wickedly funny.  If you enjoy laughing out loud, you'll love all three of them.

About Alberto ~*~
Alberto is an immigrant from Panama. He arrived in San Antonio, Texas in 1964 on the eve of his 18 thbirthday with his mother and two sisters; his brother joined him a year later. He has been a resident of Plantersville, Texas for 35 years. He has three novels published: “Cut & Run,” by Arte Publico Press, and the other two, "In Search of High Ground" and "An Ill Wind That Blows No Good" through Create Space. He has written and produced a stage play, “Rejali and the Camel.” Also, along with Philip Mintz, his screen writing partner, the screen play, “Pigeons by the Sea,” was written; a story loosely based upon his novel by the same name.   Alberto is a proud member, and former President of The Woodlands Writers Guild, an organization dedicated to the education, entertainment, and nurturing of a writer’s journey towards success.  The Alex Perez series is nothing more than a blatant attempt by Alberto to record his youth while the few memory cells still available, think they remember what happened, and how…

Alberto's Website  www.albertoarcia.com


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