Behind the Book with Freddy Cruz

This week I bring you the compelling author, Freddy Cruz!

Liz - Tell us a little bit about your part of the world.

Freddy - Richmond, Texas is where we call home. It’s about 20-70 minutes outside of Houston. Traffic is

TERRRRRIBLE, hence the sizable range of commute times.

Liz - You adopted a dog named Sparrow - it's an interesting name for a large dog! What can you tell

us about him/her?

Freddy - Sparrow rescued our family on Super Bowl Weekend in 2016. We never considered a name

change since he was 3-years old at the time.

I remember interviewing an author for the podcast last year and he went berserk when the UPS

guy showed up at the door. I said, “Sparrow, chill out dude.” She replied, “That doesn’t sound

like a Sparrow to me!”

Liz - You've had a long and successful career working at the award winning radio station, KRBE.

Did you always want to get into radio?

Freddy - From middle school to high school, I thought I’d end up on TV. I fell into radio because back

then, it was seen as a stepping stone for TV broadcasters. But I never left because it was so much

fun. I chose to end my career in radio at the end of 2021.

Liz - As another massive music lover, I have to ask, who are some of your most beloved artists?

Freddy - My playlist ranges from Top 40 stars like The Weeknd and alternative rockers like grandson

(lower case “g”) and Linkin Park to Tejano bands like The Hometown Boys. I don’t do death

metal and modern country. Other faves include Maroon 5, K. Flay, Steve Aoki, Muse and almost

anything from the 90s.

Liz - If you could host any musician on your podcast, who would it be and why?

Freddy - I’d love to interview The Weeknd. Of all the musicians I’ve met, he seems to be the most elusive

and mysterious. His creativity is second to none and I’d love to just sit and vibe with him.

Liz - What was the motivation behind the launch of the Freddy’s Huge ASK Podcast and how long

has it been running?

Freddy - The new podcast is part of the next iteration of my career. I have found in recent years that one of my most under utilized skills is interviewing. Which is why I started my previous podcast of a different name with my previous employer. This one will not only highlight authors, but CEOs,

entrepreneurs, and journalists at the top of their game. So far, I’ve got an impressive lineup and

it’ll only get better with time.

Liz - Your latest book, They Cancelled the DJ, is gaining some great reviews. What inspired the

story and the character of Aubrey Cortes?

Freddy - The story itself is a spoof on corporate radio and rabid fandoms. It offers a sort of behind-the-scenes view of what happens when the mics are off. Some of what happens is based on actual events. I had a lot of fun creating Aubrey’s character and highlighting the quirks that make any

person a complicated individual. Because of this, his character was the most difficult to pull off.

Liz - You also wrote When America Fell Silent, which sounds ominous! Can you tell us about it?

Freddy - WAFS takes place in the near future. It follows the story of Elizabeth Ogden, who overthrows the United States government after her parents are assassinated on Inauguration Day. She

implements martial law, repeals the 1st Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, and uses the largest

government in the history of humanity to avenge the death of her loved ones.

Liz - Did your writing process change at all between the two books? Were there any lessons

learned from publishing the first one that you implemented with second?

Freddy - The biggest difference between the first and second novel is that I wrote the second one

longhand. The scenes felt more engaging and writer’s block didn’t occur nearly as often as the

first one, where I would stare at a big, bright, blank and menacing screen for too long. I have

often found that once I put pen to paper, flow-state was easier to achieve.

Liz - When you have some rare free time, what do you enjoy doing most?

Freddy - Family, Sparrow, running, books, and wasting time on the internet.

Liz - As a lover of music, do you create playlists for your stories? Do you listen to music while

you write?

Freddy - With When America Fell Silent, I would listen to loops of intense adventure music to get me in the mood when writing an action scene. It was a huge help and it’s one of my protips for anyone stuck in a scene. If you’re writing an action scene, search “epic battle music.” For romance search “romance.” Easy peasy!

Liz - What are you working on next?

Freddy - The new novel is a mystery/thriller set around the holidays with the Houston area as the

backdrop. It follows the story of two unsavory individuals, one of which is knockin’ it out with

the other’s mom. It’s told from each one’s perspective in alternating chapters. It was a blast to

portray two different antiheroes and with a little luck, readers can expect it this fall.