Interview date: 25 May 2022
Not yet a best-selling author, Xavier is a former door gunner on the International Space Station. When not making the galaxy safe for democracy, he writes whatever weirdness comes to mind. He currently lives in the woods with his wife, Morticia, in a state of mutual weirdness with their dogs Chuck Norris and the three-legged Jabba the Hutt. Thanks to the GI Bill, he has a MFA in Popular Fiction Writing & Publishing from Emerson College.
He is currently working on his second publication, a collection of short stories tentatively titled: Broken Hearts and Other Horrors.
MWSA: How long have you been associated with MWSA?
I first joined MWSA in 2020; however due to some personal issues in 2021 and the COVID pandemic my membership was interrupted. I re-joined in 2022.
MWSA: What was your inspiration for your book The Hidden Lives of Dick & Mary?
I had these amazing characters that overshadowed the protagonist and antagonist in another project. I wanted to explore them further and so I began a side project where I used them to explore the history and hauntings of the Air National Guard Station I retired out of. It's the oldest continuously active military installation west of the Mississippi and as such has many ghost stories.
I'm also intrigued by the UFO phenomenon and wanted to explore the question of "what if there really are aliens visiting the Earth and studying humanity?"
MWSA: What are you working on now? I'm working on a collection of interconnected short stories inspired by Edgar Allan Poe's short story "The Conversation of Eiros and Charmion". About two souls who find each other after the apocalypse, it's one of those stories that resonated with me.
I had all of these short stories centered around telling tales about lonely people who are searching for something that's missing in their lives. They're just told against the backdrop of various monsters and other paranormal things that go bump in the night.
These first two books are my way of learning the ropes of being an indie author both from the artistic and publishing perspectives. I get to demonstrate my range of what I can write so I'm not "typecast" into a specific subgenre of horror.
MWSA: Why did you choose to write in the horror genre?
I always imagined I'd be a sci-fi writer. While I grew-up reading Stephen King, I was much more of a Star Wars fan. Space operas really resonate with me. However, horror is more artistically and therapeutically satisfying. I can explore a character during the worst day of their lives as everything crumbles around them. In my own life I've found that these are the times a person's true self is revealed along with their strengths and weaknesses.
Artistically, I'm interested in the human condition and asking "what if" questions: what if ghosts are real? What if aliens are experimenting on us? What if civilization crumbled around us? This not only lets me explore the best and worst of specific characters; but as humanity as a whole.
Therapeutically, it helps me work through my own personal struggles. There is a lot of me reflected in some of my characters. Horror provides a release, a context that allows me to distance myself from trauma that I've experienced and put myself in a fictional high stakes environment to analyze things and explore life paths not taken.
MWSA: What have you learned publishing your first book?
I have learned several things:
1) Having a good editor is essential.
2) Learn as much as you can and read about processes you're agreeing to--even if you're working with experts. They're people too and can make mistakes. At the end of the day, the indie author is the one approving proofs and paying the bills. The cost of any mistake will be on you.
3) Think about how you're going to market your book. Ebooks and Print on Demand (POD) have democratized the publishing business. There are some very skilled authors putting out high quality material. BUT there are also a lot of talented amateurs who will crowd you out. It's essential to find away to your readers so they know you exist. I'm experimenting with book trailers and YouTube marketing. We'll see how that goes.
Beyond that: find your tribe(s). Thanks to the GI Bill I was able to get a MFA in Popular Fiction Writing and Publishing. There I was able to network with peers and found my editor and book designer. So that's one tribe--but I'm blessed by two tribes. I also have my veteran tribe. While we have our fun interservice rivalries; at the end of the day we are there for one another.
MWSA: Will you be attending the 2022 MWSA Convention?
Yes.