1. Tell us a little about yourself.
I live in New Jersey with my wife, Samantha, and our dog, Artie (he’s 1!). I grew up in Staten Island, New York, and am a first generation American. My mother is from Ecuador, and my father is from Sicily. I grew up speaking Spanish, so sometimes I get tripped up with English language idioms and prepositions (when you pay attention, they don’t really make sense…). Aside from writing, I’ve always loved music, and I did a stint as a singer/songwriter for several years, playing venues like the Bitter End in the Lower East Side of Manhattan. I was in a band called Little One for years as well, and we are still on Spotify! Currently, I work in education as an Instructional Designer, but I started out teaching English Composition. Overall, I love to indulge my inner child. I play with Legos, go to arcades, watch scary movies (sometimes with my eyes covered), ride my bike, rock climb, and I love to try new things! And I’m a sucker for anything spooky or scary.
2. When did you first discover you wanted to be a writer?
I remember being 5 or 6 years old and writing a story in class. I have a visceral memory of the narrator in my story saying he was dead, and my classmates asking how the narrator was talking if he was dead (my first workshop!). That’s my earliest memory of wanting to be a writer. It was just something I always did, be it poetry, song lyrics, short stories, screenplays, or novels. I’ve always loved books and creating stories.
3. What made you decide to submit your pitch as a Terrorcore Rewind book?
I struggled for years trying to determine what kind of writer I wanted to be. After years of writing the way I thought I was supposed to, focusing on stories that skewed “literary” (whatever that really means), I concluded that I wanted to write the kind of stories that I loved reading as a teen. When Terrorcore’s Rewind prompt came out, it felt like it was a sign. These were the exact kind of books I wanted to write, so I had to pitch.
4. Where did the idea of The Magician come from?
I played around with a few different ideas, but I kept coming back to the notion of magic. Specifically card tricks. I thought the idea of focusing on magic was kitschy but fun in the way the Point Horror books were. When I started to outline the story, I had intended for the main character to be darker. I like writing from the villain’s or anti-hero’s perspective, but as the story took form, so did Derrick. Once I understood who Derrick was, the story took shape very quickly. But I wanted to keep in some of those tropes that were typical in Point Horror—the obvious villain, a new store/place/person that just so happens to come along (also a nod to one of the best novels ever written, The Night Circus), unrequited love, and typical teen angst.
5. Our lead character, Derrick, is drawn to the magic shop because he wants to be the best magician he can be. Can you tell us about Derrick? And do you think he still would have visited Apollyon if he knew the troubles he would face?
Derrick, at his core, is a good kid who doesn’t want to hurt anybody, but what I wanted to focus on was that he isn’t really “special.” So many stories are about people who have a touch of destiny about them, a special skill, a calling—I wanted to write a story about an ordinary kid who just wants to find where he belongs. He wants to be special, talented, and a standout, but he’s really just average. Or so he thinks when he compares himself to those around him. What really makes Derrick special is his heart. He’s not malicious or vindictive in any way. Even when justified, he doesn’t want to hurt Principal Templeton or Apollyon. So, I don’t think he would still have visited Apollyon if he knew what was going to happen. Especially considering his affection for May and how she ultimately gets tangled up in it all.
6. Some of the tricks described in The Magician are incredibly detailed and specific. Did you do research when writing the book? If so, what famous magicians and tricks did you look at for inspiration?
I did a lot of research for this book. I am not a magician or even a big fan of magicians generally speaking, but I wanted Derrick to sound like an authority when doing his magic tricks. I focused mainly on Houdini for the bigger tricks and then did a lot of research on card tricks since I knew that would be a more reasonable tool for a teenager.
7. What’s your favorite Point Horror, R.L. Stine, or Christopher Pike book?
The Fear Street Saga by R.L. Stine is my favorite! Whenever I see a Fear Street book in a used bookstore, I buy it. I ate those up in high school. But the Saga was the best of the series, hands down!
8. What’s next? Any new books on the horizon?
I have some short stories coming out later this year—one with Terrorcore! But now that I have a novel under my belt, I am inspired to tackle a horror period piece that has been knocking around in my head for a while.
