Second article dedicated to independent authors. Today I have Gabriel Romero of Avila, also with roots in La Solana, but very globetrotting and now settled in Galicia, next to the Rande bridge. Author of The Demon Queen of the River Isis, also collaborates as articulist in the digital newspaper Vigo is.
In the test of the 10 questions Gabriel Romero de Ávila tells us about his favorite books and authors, their influences, their hobbies, their readings, their projects and experiences. In short, it is always good to discover more literary voices.
Who is Gabriel Romero de Ávila?
I was born on Madrid, studied Medicine and I have lived in Leeds, Newcastle, Tenerife and Pontevedra, to finally settle in Vigo, but I have never been able to stop traveling.
The Demon Queen of the River Isis
In the first months of 1852 The British and Ottoman Empires vie for possession of the beautiful nation of nilidia. They will soon realize that this battle will not be easy, when in the fight for the soul and the streets of the city of Basser intervene a terrible damna relic with magical powers, a governor in love with a western woman, the jilted wife, a brujo pro-slavery, pirates from the river Isis, redcoats, monsters nightmare and Allan Quartermain.
10 questions
1. Do you remember the first book you read? And the first story you wrote?
In my house there were always a lot of books. I grew up with the tales of Andersen, the fables of Samani and the adventure novels of Julio Verne, Arthur Conan Doyle and Emilio Salgari. Those were pre-computer times, when we were all more innocent, there were only two television channels and our great mischief was to watch the two diamond movies.
The first story I wrote was a cheeky copy of Sherlock Holmes, in which he only changed the names of the characters and the plot was infumable. I made it with my father's old typewriter and some huge notebook sheets, and then he would help me staple them. I still keep it at home (just for the nostalgia value, of course, because it really was horrible).
2. What was the first book that struck you and why?
As a young man I read Sandokan, the novel that surprised me the most for many years, because it showed me that the bad guys are much more complex than the good guys, and that sometimes they have more reason to do what they do. From then comes my passion for the sea. Then I found out that I even got dizzy on the Retiro boats, and I couldn't be a pirate in Malaysia. So I started writing.
3. Who is your favorite writer? You can choose more than one and from all eras.
Among the classics they lose me Salgari and Hemingway. But I also admire many others, like Steinbeck, Zweig, Sabatini or Anthony Hope.
Among the current my favorites are Vazquez-Figueroa, Pérez-Reverte y Javier Reverte. I also follow E closelyspido Freire and Máxim Huerta. ALREADYLessandro Baricco is incredible.
My main problem is find space at home for more books. I have no more free shelves, no time in the day to read more. If someone has any of those things left over, let them pass it on to me.
4. What character in a book would you have liked to meet and create?
One of the best characters in literature of recent times is Diego Alatriste: noble and heroic, with the fatalism of his time. Closely follows Lorenzo Falco, which plays with all sides and has very little of the glamor of 007.
5. Do you have any hobbies when it comes to writing or reading?
When reading, I tend to have little patience. I am not able to finish a book that does not hook me. This is what I call "the 50 page test": if in that space I have not found elements that appeal to me, I do not have enough patience to continue.
When writing, more or less the same thing happens to me. That's why I have a thousand novels in my head, but natural selection makes only the best ones survive (or the mutations that allow them to adapt to the environment).
6. And your preferred place and time to do it?
Even though I grew up without computing, now I have become a addicted to new technologies, and thanks to them I can read at any time: I carry books on my mobile or tablet and take advantage of any occasion. Even in the car, thanks to the audiobooks, which have been my best discovery in recent years.
With writing, something similar happens to me: there is not a lost moment.
7. What writer or book has influenced your work as an author?
I have decided not to name Salgari again, so now I will repeat Hemingway: there is no one who masters dialogues (and silences) like him. Each of its pages is full of magic. And it taught me that a great story can be told in very little space.
8. Your favorite genres?
I read very diverse genres, but I adore adventure and travel novelss. Also the historical novel and the noir genre. Even a bit of manners, but not too much.
9. What are you reading now? And writing?
This year I started the technique of "Literary boat": put one euro in a pot for each book you read, and that money can only be taken out at the end of the year, and can only be spent on more books. I've already saved 20 euros so far this year, so my addiction will continue to grow. Right now i'm starting Scaramoucheby Rafael Sabatini; Y Desert flowerby Waris Dirie.
About writing, I am investigating the life of nomadic tribes of the Sahara desert, the spread of Islam in these territories and the confrontations between the Barbary corsairs and knights of Malta. I can have a novel ready shortly. Or twenty, because those issues would go a long way.
10. How do you think the publishing scene is for as many authors as there are or want to publish?
It has many advantages and some disadvantages. The Internet has given accessibility to writers who can now easily contact publishers, self-publish, promote themselves, show their work, etc. The literary world has changed a lot, but readers have also changed. We all learn new rules, sometimes on the fly. But it is certainly a fascinating time. There has never been so much activity, so many authors and so much work to do. And I'm having a lot of fun.