Industry Spotlight - Freddy Cruz

FREDDY CRUZ

WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO CREATE YOUR NOVEL, ALLOW ME TO RUIN YOUR CHRISTMAS?

The book was born out of a need to exercise my shadow. Sometimes things get a little too jolly. So flipping the script on what tends to be a happiest time of the year seemed like fun. And guess what? It was!

WILL THIS BE PART OF A SERIES?

One of my beta readers asked me the same thing and now I’m thinking that it’s possible. Eventually but not anytime soon, though.

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR WRITING STYLE?

In a word, Cruzian. I feel as though my favorite books, authors, and entertainers have all shaped my voice. Too many to name. and challenging. Sometimes, the words write themselves and all I do is hold the pen to paper. And sometimes, the selfdoubt demon in my head convinces me to blame writer’s block for my lack of creativity.

WHEN WILL THIS BE RELEASED AND WHERE CAN READERS BUY IT?

Allow Me to Ruin Your Christmas is available now at ruinmychristmas. com.

CAN YOU TELL US, READERS, WHAT YOUR MAIN CHARACTER IS LIKE?

Beckett is a college kid whose life gets turned upside down after he finds out that his favorite podcaster (Lex Griffin) is dating his mom. To make matters worse, Beckett learns that Lex was involved in his dad’s death. Beckett’s a ticking time bomb of rage. But he’s also pretty funny and selfunaware. He’s the guy you’d get along with until you make a mistake and end up on his list of enemies.

WHAT WAS THE JOURNEY LIKE FOR YOU AS YOU WERE WRITING, EDITING, AND PUBLISHING YOUR WORKS?

As with any long term creative endeavor, it was (and always is) equally rewarding WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO ASPIRING WRITERS IN YOUR GENRE?

My advice for writers is to never give in to self-doubt and/or negative self-talk. The world needs your story—whatever the genre.

Somewhere out there, your first fan is waiting for you to FINISH WRITING YOUR BOOK. WOULD YOU EVER WRITE BOOKS IN ANY OTHER GENRE?

I’d say romance. But only because conventional wisdom suggests men that “can’t” write romance. My gut reaction to people saying that I can’t do something is to do it out of spite.

WHAT WERE YOUR FAVORITE MOMENTS AS A WRITER WHEN WORKING ON YOUR BOOK?

The point at which Beckett snaps is my favorite part because it sets the tone for the entire second half of the book.

WHERE CAN READERS FIND YOU AND YOUR BOOKS?

freddycruz.link/books and on your favorite social channel, except for MySpace.

ABOUT FREDDY

Freddy Cruz is the founder of Freddy Cruz Creative Works, a boutique media company in the Greater Houston area.

Freddy’s work spans twenty-six years, three with the iconic KDWB/MinneapolisSaint Paul and twenty-one with the legendary, two-time Marconi Award winning KRBE/Houston. When he's not creating auditory satisfaction, you can find him nose deep in a book, snuggling with his dog Sparrow, or jogging on the trail (trying hard to not sound like a horror movie villain).