Interview with Arthur J. Gonzalez

When did you know you wanted to be a writer?
You know, I think it’s something that I was always aware I’d love to do. I just never believed I could make a career out of it, so it was off of radar. I did it for the joy of the creation, and the peace it brought me. I would write songs and poetry even in the third grade.

But then, I decided to give it a shot. I thought, life is too short, and why can’t I do it? Why can’t that be me? I was the only person holding myself back.
Once I acknowledged that, I went for it. And I couldn’t be any more ecstatic by the feedback. I’m hooked!

What genre do you write and why?
I enjoy writing Young Adult novels the most. I think, deep inside, I’m still a teen at heart. But above all, I feel that I have certain perspective and voice to my writing that connects to the YA audience. It’s some of my favorite feedback coming from the YA community.

Tell us about your latest book.
THE PHOTO TRAVELER is about a 17-year-old teen, Gavin Hillstone, whom discovers his ability to time travel through photos and images.

THE PHOTO TRAVELER was created after one of the most important individuals in my life lost his grandmother. He was looking at an old black and white photo and said, “I would do anything to jump into this photo.” In that moment the idea came to me. I thought, Oh my god. What if we could?

Can you imagine having the ability to time travel to and revisit old memories or moments in time!?  AMAZING!

So I developed the story line for my main character, which ends up traveling to distinct periods in history (The Great Depression and The Salem Witch Trials) for certain answers, and has this fierce, radical group of European Photo Travelers after him (called The Peace Hunters). Click here for more details about the book.

What marketing methods are you using to promote your book?
I am involved in loads of social media. I am very active on certain platforms for authors, such as Wattpad, which is primarily geared towards the YA community. And I host as many giveaways as possible too! 

What formats is the book available in?
Currently THE PHOTO TRAVELER is available in all eBook formats and paperback. 

Arthur J. Gonzalez
What do you like to do when you’re not writing?
I enjoy spending time with my family and friends. I’m pretty big of forming memories. 

Who are your favourite authors?
I’m really enjoying John Green.  I love his style of writing and distinct voice he has. 

What advice do you have for other writers?
Success does not come overnight. It takes hard work. If you want it, you must first define your own interpretation of success and be willing to work relentlessly towards it. 

What’s your favourite quote about writing/for writers?
We are each given a gift my God. It is up to us to determine what that is. What we do with this gift, is our gift back. 

What’s the best thing about being a writer?
There are no limits. There’s no right or wrong way. If you have a story to tell, no one can tell you that you are wrong. No idea is too over-the-top. On the contrary, the bigger the idea, the better! 

Where can people find out more about you and your writing?
They can go to my personal website: www.arthurjgonzalez.com.  They can also sign up to my mailing list under the CONTACT tab.  Also, any one can visit THE PHOTO TRAVELER official website: www.thephototravelerbook.com.
Twitter: ArthurJGonzalez

Anything else you’d like to add?
I’m working on the sequel to The Photo Traveler, titled The Peace Hunter. I cannot express how excited I am about this book! This story takes off in directions I, myself, could not believe!

My children’s novel, Monty and the Monsters, will hopefully be ready by end of summer/end of year. The story is about a newborn human boy, Monty, who’s taken from his world and raised by monsters (in a hysterical monster world I created, called Gloomsbury). Monty is raised by monsters his entire life, carrying the burden of feeling different, but never knowing he is actually a human. His life is filled with isolation and loneliness, constantly being the target of heavy bullying.

On Monty’s 15th birthday, he is informed of the truth of his origin and given the opportunity to venture to his human world; where there, Monty will have to decide if he will stay in the world he was stripped of, or stay with the monster parents he has grown to love, in a world that has always shunned him.

The story is about love, blended family, acceptance, bullying, and finding your way.

My young adult superhero series, tentatively titled LADY ELEMENT (a series meant to break passed the typical male superhero mold, by focusing on a female main character, Charlee, who has developed her abilities to summon the elements. She is on the hunt for her scientist parents whom she discovers have been kidnapped by an underground governmental program, designed to create new strands of diseases for population control. Charlee suffers from body dysmorphia, has a hunky gay best friend, and in a matter of words…is quite fierce).

The third novel is part one in a still untitled YA series surrounding the end of the world. This story, though, takes place ten years after the fact, where five 5 teens wake to an earth that has evolved into a completely different planet than they remember.

They are forced to resuscitate their kind and reestablish civilization.  But they soon realize why their world ended and discover that earth is still at its mercy.
And then I’m also working on an adult Fiction series surrounding Greek Mythology, The Olympian Chronicles: Hades. Think True Blood with Greek Gods, rather than vampires and werewolves. It’s an edgy, sexy, and modern take on Greek Mythology, with a 21st century twist.

What would our favorite tales look like if they took place in today’s world?

blogsignatureWA

1 Comments

I love to hear from you. So feel free to comment, but keep in mind the basics of blog etiquette — no spam, no profanity, no slander, etc.

Thanks for being an active part of the Writers and Authors community.