The music that inspired the book: Silence the Living

I knew the story I wanted to tell in “Silence the Living” and I had the characters formed in my head, but I couldn’t put the novel into focus until I found musical inspiration.
One night I was driving from South Florida to Orlando to meet my family at a theme park. I put on “A Star-Cross Wasteland” by In This Moment. From one song to the next, my novel fell into place. The desolate desert imagery became real. The monsters, mutated coyotes and deformed cross-breeds of desert-dwelling species, took life. The pain of the tragic love between Moni and Aaron felt blistering.
I offered my thanks to In This Moment in the opening notes of this book. Even today when I hear their songs, the scenes from my novel swirl through my head.

In my writer's chair and wearing my In this Moment gear with my new novel.

Most of “Silence the Living” was written to music. It helped me visualize the scenes. In some cases, there’s a connection between the lyrics and what happens in these chapters.
What follows is a guide to the songs I listened to, from many artists, for certain chapters.

Prologue - In This Moment, “Standing Alone”

Moni is standing on a mountain and staring at the inhospitable southern New Mexico desert. She should be dying from the heat, but the aliens are keeping her alive. The infection in her bloodstream is so dangerous that she needs to keep away from every living thing. Maria Brink sings: “Now I’m standing here alone. It’s the only way to survive.”

Chapters 1, 3, and 7 - In This Moment, “Just Drive”

Moni and Aaron are forced on a hasty cross country drive. They’re fleeing the aftermath of the invasion in Florida and the pursuit of law enforcement. Meanwhile, Moni’s dealing with frightening changes the aliens are making to her body. How far must they run? Maria Brink sings: “Tonight is the night, let’s get ready to go. Leave your bags behind and let’s hit the road…We will drive no matter how far. Yes we will drive until the ending of it all.”

Chapter 2 - Straight Line Stitch, “Taste of Ashes”

Florida policewoman Nina Skillings is furious at Moni for all those who died in the invasion, especially the police captain who was her mentor. Nina vows to track Moni down and kill her, at any cost. This was the music for most chapters with Nina. Alexis Brown, who screams “Thorn in your side!” is as angry as I’ve ever heard a woman.

Second half of Chapter 4 and Chapter 12 - In This Moment, “The Promise”

After close encounters with people who try to hurt them, Moni realizes that it’s dangerous for Aaron to stay with her. Either she will infect him or the people after her will kill him. Even though she loves him, she tries to convince him to leave her. She doesn’t want to hurt him, but she has no choice. In this duet, Maria Brink and Adrian Patrick (from Otherwise) sing, “No matter what you say or what you do, I know how this will end. So I’m turning away now. I’m dangerous for you…My promise is I will hurt you.”

Chapter 5 - In This Moment, “Comanche”

This is the song I listened to for every chapter written from the point of view of “the mutant.” It’s a misshapen monster lurking in the waterways of Florida that was left over from the first invasion. This song is intense and angry. Needing to shift into the mindset of a monster that kills for pleasure, this did the trick.

Chapter 14 - In This Moment, “A Star-Crossed Wasteland”

Moni walks into the desert by herself for the first time. It’s still and quiet, yet she fears she won’t be safe and she misses Aaron terribly. Maria Brink sings, “The dust is clearing, the desert is calm. The skies are quiet and I can’t make a sound. And I just wait for you.”

Chapter 15 - Otherwise, “Full Circle”

Aaron is out on his own in Las Cruces, hoping to find a way to help Moni. He’s regretful over the mistakes he’s made that have led him to this point, but he’s determined to set things right. Adrian Patrick sings, “I will believe, in spite of me, and what I have become. I’ll find the one I used to be, to bring me full circle.”

Chapter 16 - In This Moment, “Gun Show”

The pitch black nightfall is all Moni can see, but she hears them closing in on her. She can feel their minds. The coyotes are after her. Will she accept the aid of the aliens inside her to survive? This song starts out in such an ominous way, with the sounds of the storm, a wind chime, ravens, a horse trotting, all setting the stage for an Old Western gun battle. Then it just explodes into madness. That’s this scene. I listened to the same song for Chapter 48, another fight that starts in the desert night. Oh, and there are plenty of guns.

Chapter 18 - In This Moment, “The Last Cowboy”

Moni meets Blake, a New Mexico state ranger who patrols the desert. She’s impressed by his rugged outdoor ways.

Chapter 20 - In This Moment, “The Road”

Moni tracks an infected animal through the desert, and eventually into a cold, dark cave. Maria Brink sings, “No matter how dark the road. You’ll light my way. No matter how far from home. I’ll find my way.”

Chapter 29 - Otherwise, “Die for You”

While Moni must confront her own problems, Aaron is forced to chase after an infected animal as it enters a children’s amusement park. So far, he’s pledged to place his life on the line for her, but now he’s about to really put that promise to the test. Adrian Patrick sings, “I would break, I would burn, I would suffer. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do, do for you…You make me feel so alive. So alive I’d die for you.”

Chapter 33 - Avenged Sevenfold “Crimson Day”

Moni and Aaron sit on a mountainside, watching the sun rise over the desert landscape. They both know they must go separate ways. They’re not sure when, or if, they will see each other again. If Moni can’t get this under control, the world my never be the same. They both wish that time could stand still. M. Shadows sings, “The sun came out and brought you through. A lifetime full of words to say, a hope that time will slow the passing day.”

Chapters 36, 38, 40 and 41 - Tool , “Reflection”

A team of Navy SEALs and a marine scientist dive into a pitch black underwater caves of Peacock Springs in north Florida to catch “the mutant.” They worry about running out of air with dozens of feet of rock between them and the surface. While they hurt the creature, it hunts them. Tool’s whole “Lateralus” album was the perfect musical backdrop for operating in such a distorted environment. “Reflection” is so creepy. And the song goes 3:44 before the lyrics start. Pure Tool!

Chapter 44 - Tori Amos, “Marianne”

Yes, Tori Amos music inspired much of the first novel in this series “Mute.” Here, Moni hearkens back to the time when she had to care for an orphaned girl named Mariella and let her down. That's because Moni has now found Ramona, an immigrant girl stranded in the desert. She must find a way to care for the girl without infecting her. Meanwhile, Tori Amos is, “Having thoughts of Marianne. Quickest girl in the frying pan.”

Chapters 55 through 60 - In This Moment, “Blazin”

Soon after Aaron and Moni enter the small border town of Columbus, New Mexico, it comes under siege by a horde of alien mutants. This song is pure adrenaline-fueled violence. Maria Brink sings, “We’re not gonna stop tonight. We’re gonna burn this city down. We’re not gonna stop tonight. We’re gonna blaze till the morning sun.” That’s the invader mentality right there.

Chapter 61 - Volbeat, “7 Shots”

Meet the most twisted, cold-blooded cowboy in the desert land. Volbeat plays amazing Western-themed metal. Michael Poulsen sings, “Playing around with the good and the evil in his mind. Alone in the desert and cold, so cold.”

Chapter 63 - Five Finger Death Punch, “M.I.N.E. (Ends this way)”

Sometimes lovers just aren’t meant to be together, no matter how much they long for each other. FFDP is well known for their thrash metal, but they are underrated for ballads. Ivan Moody sings, “I know I’d hurt you, deserted you. And now I see it clear. I pulled you closer, tighter. ‘Cause I knew you’d disappear. I just can’t compromise, apologize. There’s nothing you can say. We both knew. It would always end this way.”

Chapter 65 - In This Moment, “Iron Army”

Moni prepares for war, and, follows the advice of one Maria Brink. “I build myself a f**king iron army!”

Chapters 70 and 71 - Shadows Fall, “Burning the Lives”

Brian Fair’s opening lyrics, “Soon a darkened pyramid will rise,” gave me the idea for this scene, and the chaos that follows.

Chapter 80 - Civil Twilight, “Human”

Moni feels more alien than ever. When she sees Aaron, it’s the only thing that makes her feel human. Steven McKellar signs, “It’s only love, it’s only pain. It’s only fear, that runs through my veins. It’s all the things you can’t explain. That make us human.”

My novel to be published in September, featured at Miami Book Fair

Silver Leaf Books will publish my third novel “Silence the Living” on September 10. I’m excited to finally share this heart-pounding story with  everyone.

Want a taste of what’s in store? My publisher’s landing page for my book has the first chapter, where you learn what it’s like for Moni living with an infectious alien life form inside her body. It’s not easy being in a relationship with someone when touching one drop of their bodily fluid might kill you.

I’m super appreciative for the support from the Miami Book Fair, the country’s best literary event and an amazing platform for authors. This will be the third year I’ve spoken there.

The Book Fair hasn’t finalized the schedule yet, but I will likely speak on Sunday, November 18. Now I just have to work on my “act”. Okay, maybe calling it an act is a stretch. I’ll select a thrilling - and not too long - passage of “Silence the Living” to read and then explain my motivation for the book.

There are plenty of other great reasons, besides me, to attend the 2018 Miami Book Fair. See their website for information about other authors participating and to sign up for alerts. The street fair has fun activities for kids and plenty of opportunities for readers looking to unearth literary gems at a good price.

Finally, I have one more update. I’ve written the first draft of my fourth novel. It revolves around a fictional Miami bank that failed during the Great Recession and the mystery of who killed the CEO.

The tentative title: “Save the Bankers."

What could inspire me to write something so outrageous?

Now that “Famous After Death” is finally out and people can actually read it (without hacking into my computer) I’m sure people who know me and race through the first chapter will wonder what inspired me to write this.

The thriller starts with three Miami teenagers dangling a blowup doll over a highway overpass at night and waiting to see what happens when a car smashes it. WTF are they thinking? It’s an adrenalin burst amid their mundane lives and a way to seek glory on social media. See, the camera is out.

They’re sitting on the edge, bubbling with laughter but deep down terrified at what could happen. It’s a rush, until the police car rolls under the street light.

Read what happens in “Famous After Death” Chapter 1 for free here.

You might think I couldn’t be more different from those teenage delinquents. Truth is, I know what they were feeling. I took part in some “pranks” as a teenager that could have ended badly but didn’t.

One time I hid behind a fence and threw apples at cars driving by. Did I consider what could happen if the flying fruit distracted the driver and led to an accident? No. I wanted to see something go splat. I nailed a convertible good. Then it stopped and the driver got out. It was a huge guy, with arms as wide as my head.

At 14, I was just as short as I am today. My friend ran but I stood there paralyzed as the hulking guy scaled the fence and stormed towards me. He hoisted me over his head with his arms fully extended. This is it, I thought, he’s going to power bomb me on the pavement Undertaker style.

The man set me down and walked away, his point proven. One would think I’d have learned my lesson. Not even close. I wanted to top it.

What can I say? I was an asshole. Ok, I’m still an asshole, but at least I’m not a stupid asshole.

The fortunate thing for me is there weren’t cell phone cameras and social media sites when I was a teen in the ‘90s. By the time those came about, I came to the revelation that destroying stuff for no reason wasn’t so funny…unless it has a New York Jets logo on it.

Teenage delinquents today don’t have it so easy. Everything in their lives is chronicled on social media, so why not their pranks? It’s not hard to find clips of teens lighting things on fire, fighting, and humiliating people. Most of these jerks haven’t figured out that immortalizing their faces online will make them unemployable, unless they want a part in the next Jackass movie. 

What if they were smarter than that? What if one of the teenage delinquents was computer savvy and posted the videos anonymously? That’s what happens in “Famous After Death” and praise from the sadistic fringe online inspires them to go bold for their next deadly pranks.

There’s this stage some teenagers have where they feel invincible yet they can’t comprehend the damage they can cause. Looking back, I’m relieved that no one got hurt because of me.

If I was a teenager today, I’m afraid how it would go. I might become famous for the wrong reason.

“Famous After Death” is available now on Amazon and Kindle.

Dropping lines from my sizzling new novel, which will be released one day, I promise

I wish I could share my entire novel Famous After Death with you today as I intended, although I have some feisty snippets to whet your appetite.

Yeah, I’m sort of eating crow after previously announcing its release by June. I got a call from a balling , book-starved Oprah, but I calmed her down and promised it would be out soon.

What’s the hold up? The novel has been edited. We need to put the finishing touches on a few things, including the layout of the cover. My publisher Silver Leaf Books is determined to release multiple books this summer and into the early fall, so I must be patient as all of them are prepared. At this point, I don’t have a hard release date from my publisher but I’m sure it’s close.

I’m sorry, Oprah, I can’t tell you exactly how close. To make sure you get Famous After Death on your doorstep at the earliest date possible, you can pre-order it from Silver Leaf Books here.

What I can do is share some of my favorite lines from Famous After Death with you. Like any good movie, a book should have plenty of one-liners and, what they call in the wrestling business, verbal pipe bombs.

Here’s a sample of what you’ll find in Famous After Death.

Better to live on a roller coaster than treading water.

Clyde’s physique was perfectly sculpted for a desk and chair. Occasionally, he met a paper clip that needed a firm twisting.

“Just imagine how it’ll feel when we make him lay belly-down on the pavement after he took Viagra. Raging hard-on, meet unforgiving concrete.”

As Uncle Alberto had told him in his last letter from jail, a man owns his transgressions. Just don’t let them catch you owning them.

“You’re the man of the family now, Jorge. Are you gonna be another faceless teenager? Or are you gonna be a roaming panther?”

“You don’t trust seedy men, but that’s the only kind you’ll attract acting all fakakta.”

“Don’t look at me like that,” his mom said. “You don’t scare me.” (Response): “Then you don’t know me as well as you think you do.”

“Sorry I didn’t dress the part. It seems that my clothes were soaked with blood tonight. A woman’s blood. You know who I’m talking about, don’t you?”

“It’s so easy to hide behind a computer and laugh at the horrors of the innocent. But you’re not passive. They’re killing on your behalf.”

“Get on your knees and put your hands behind your head.” (Response): “Your momma can get on her knees.”

You think you know what it’s like to lose everything you love? No you don’t. Not yet.

There’s plenty more where that came from. When Famous After Death is out, I urge you to share your favorite lines from the book with me via video. Silver Leaf Books will post the best fan-read lines from the book on its website.

More information on this special video coming soon. After all, what’s a book about murder gone viral without viral reader interaction?

An action-packed short story will be my next release

I’ve been thrown a curveball in my writing career this year. I hoped to show everybody my second novel Famous After Death but, due to circumstances beyond my control, its release with Silver Leaf Books has been delayed a year.

The bright side of that, for readers especially, is that I’m about to share an action-packed piece of fiction that I wouldn’t have otherwise had an outlet for. Silver Leaf Books has decided to release a handful of short stories on Amazon, among them my roughhousing work – Medical Martial Arts.

The cover art (before title added):

The story was inspired by athletes who continue competing past their prime despite the harm to their bodies because they need that one last run at greatness. Normally, the body has its limits. I use a science fiction theme, yet one not too far from reality, to remove all boundaries. 

Putt up your mitts, here’s the summary:

Cliff "Bones' Bonner lost everything last time he stepped into the cage, his title, his health and his pride. His wife begs him to retire and relish in a successful career, but this mix martial arts fighter won't take off his gloves until he silences his critics. Bones get his chance in the Hardcore Combat League, a bloody spectacle in the Bahamas where stem cell implants and sculpting bones into deadly weapons are as legal as a pair of shorts. Victory in this sport pays well, but it comes with a price.

His first opponent is a four-armed man. One of the more climactic scenes makes use of South Florida’s most overlooked Cold War landmarks. 

As some of you know, I’m a former high school wrestler and a fan of both mixed martial arts and the WWE so I take great pleasure in writing a combat story like this. Individual sports can bring out the best or the worst in you. Losing is such an empty feeling because you can only blame yourself. Winning, knowing that you just physically defeated someone, is such an unbelievable high.

The key to making people care about a fight, whether real or fiction, is selling the characters involved. It’s the difference between seeing two strangers battle in a parking lot and watching your brother fight a bully.

Medical Martial Arts will be available in the coming months. Stay tuned and have your favorite e-reader ready. 

As for my novels, I’m eager to share the breakneck thriller Famous After Death with everybody soon but next year’s the more likely target for it. The sequel to Mute is pretty far along. I’m keeping the plot quiet (he he) to avoid spoilers.

I honestly wish I had more time to write fiction because that’s what I love. I know that sounds funny when I’m talking about all these projects, yet I have so many ideas that I can’t wait to get to next.

And so the fight continues…

My 2014 plans: Book signing, new novel release, big sequel brewing

After reaching so many milestones last year both professionally and personally, I have more groundbreaking writing planned for 2014.

First up, I’m doing a book signing at the renowned Books & Books in Coral Gables on Jan. 28 at 8 p.m. I’ll read a chapter from Mute – I have one in mind but I’m open to suggestions – and then talk about how the story of my novel is a metaphor for my life. The discussion really moved the people who heard it at the Miami Book Fair so I suggest you hear it live.

If you can’t be there in person, Books & Books will stream it online. Go here for more information about the free event.

This fall Silver Leaf Books will release my second novel, Famous After Death, in print and e-book. My publisher already posted a landing page for my novel. How do you like the cover photo? It’s by the same photographer from Mute, El Cesana in Australia. The font for the title will probably change, but I feel the photo captures the shocking nature of the story.

I’m glad there weren't camera phones and YouTube when I was a teenager because a lot of the stupid things I did probably would have been shared, to maximum embarrassment. I’m lucky some of those stunts didn’t go so bad that people got hurt. But what if…

In Famous After Death, three Miami teenagers figure: Everything else has gone viral so why not murder?

This is fast-paced thriller set in South Florida (mostly Miami). The teenagers do terrible things for attention as the trials of their childhoods drove them to dehumanize their victims, and make them famous by posting their deaths online.

Most teenagers who glamorize their violence online are too stupid to hide their identities, but this trio is clever, and they have help from a mysterious hacker with an ax to grind against the police officer tracking them down.

Besides all this, what else could I possibly have cooking? Well, another novel of course. Mute is just itching for a sequel and I’m hard at work on the first draft. I can’t say how long it will take to finish and, especially, to edit. That’s the hard part.

I’ll say this, though. It’ll have more science fiction than the first novel, and more romance. Yet, other parts are pure horror. 

I call it…

Silenced

All set for my Miami Book Fair presentation

One week away from my presentation at the Miami Book Fair International and I’m itching to go.

This speech will be more emotional than anything I’ve ever done. Yes, I’ve spoken to large groups before. Usually the focus is journalism, social media or tips on writing. This time it’ll be personal.

It’s been difficult to talk openly about why I chose the themes in my novel Mute. There are things in my life that I couldn’t talk about for many years. I couldn’t bear even thinking about them. Yet, they fueled the emotions in my writing. 

No more secrets. I’m telling my story. 

Join me at the Miami Book Fair and I’ll tell you how this science fiction murder mystery is a metaphor for my life. Why was the mute girl who needs saving? What is the symbolism behind animals infected with purple tumors? 

Sunday, Nov. 24, Miami-Dade College Wolfson Campus(downtown), Building 8, Room 8303 (Third floor) with fellow authors JacintoPires and Preston Allen.

Univesity of Miami hosting my speaking event on journalism and writing

I'm pleased to announce that the University of Miami Alumni Association is hosting my discussion on journalism and writing next month.

As some of you know, I'm a B.S. in Communications from UM, class of 2002. Of man, is that 11 years ago already? I was on campus a few months ago for Homecoming Week and it felt like fond old times. Of course there were a few things that were new to me, including this.

By going back to campus on Feb. 11 at the Newman Alumni Center in Coral Gables, I'm going to share my experiences in journalism and writing novels with UM students, alumni and anyone in the community who wants to attend the free event. How do I dig up award-winning stories? How do I scoop the competition? How do I write over 20 stories a week, and then go home to work on a novel without passing out from exhaustion? (The answer doesn’t depends on controlled substances, I assure you.)

I'll also talk about what inspires my novels and how I make the few precious hours I find to write so productive. Social media promotion, and working with the traditional media to get reviews and radio appearances, will be another point of emphasis.

If you would like to join me at UM for this event, please RSVP here.