Interview with Novelist GC Fuentez and his debut novel, Saint Michael and the Dragon.

 I interviewed GC Feuntz on 21/09/19 on another blog, now defunct.

Today, I am interviewing debut novelist, GC Fuentez about his recently released novel, Saint Michael and the Dragon. I was contacted via Facebook by the author to review this and upon reading its description from Amazon, I was intrigued by its description,

Saint Michael and the dragon.... fast paced fantasy fiction thriller. Swordplay and adventure in Medieval Spain. Christian based. Young Michael's wish to become a knight is fulfilled and he finds himself over his head in his journey to encounter the dragon. Spiritual situations and supernatural beings are dealt with along the way. Violent situations occur. This book is recommended for supervised reading to smaller children. Everyone else, sit back and enjoy as Saint Michael and the dragon takes you back to those days of the great paperback novels of your youth.

I contacted the author and offered to highlight this novel. He chose to be interviewed. So sit back and let’s see what motivated him to write this intriguing novel with a theme of spiritual warfare that is an important and significant element to living in Christ's victory and being a disciple of Christ.

If you think this is a children's novel, think again!

Welcome, Lou (his friends call him ‘Lou’), thanks for stopping by! Let’s start with you telling us a little about yourself?

I am a second-generation Californian and a veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom. My grandparents on both sides originally came to the USA from Mexico over 100 years ago. And our family has a ranch in Central California near Fresno to this day. There are houses there that are probably some of the oldest in the Central Valley and they are still being used as residences. Of course, they have been modernized over the years. My late father G.O. Fuentez proudly served during the Korean Conflict. My mother is alive and well. She lives in the same area of the Central Valley where she was born.

I am an Alumnus of Cal Poly San Luis Obispo California where I studied both Agriculture Business and Applied Graphic Design. It’s also where I wrote my first book which I hope to get published soon. It is called “Mayan Sun” which is a play on words since the book is about a young man of Mayan ancestry living in the USA. In that book, I wrote from a perspective of a ‘born again’ Christian college student of Mayan descent who ends up fighting a spiritual war against the demons of ancient Mayan shaman. My writing has had a lot of influence from the Evangelical side of Christianity where the Holy Spirit can be called upon to intervene in real-life situations as in the book of Acts. Saint Michael and the dragon is not a book written for children (the original is a milder version, I wrote specifically for my kids 25 years ago) Do you remember two movies that come to mind… Jason and the Argonauts and the Exorcist? Yeah, there are scenes in these movies and even in Conan the Barbarian where the heroes fight witches and demons… very scary stuff. For me, one of the scariest movies I saw as a kid was Disney’s Darby O’Gill and the little people because of the ghosts and the Banshee. I always felt that those situations could have been handled differently by a Spirit-filled born again Christian hero. But we never see that. So, I am here to break the mold. My heroes call upon scripture and verse to handle those type of situations.

I have been living in Las Vegas since I came back from the Middle East where I worked for the US Army as a security contractor there for eight years. I spend a lot my time writing and travelling around the world with my wife and family (wife May, and 5 children: July, Caleb, Lily, Hannah Mae, Michael and one in the oven!). This year 2019, we spent a month in the Philippines visiting my wife’s family and a week in Hong Kong. I also have a grandson by my son Caleb and his wife Erica. His name is Oliver!!

What was the surprise about finding joy in writing?

Well, I have always loved to write, even in high school. During my early 20’s I worked for furniture stores as a salesman. I wrote for a trade publication and was paid for that. But my real dream was to have my books published and make a living that way. Over the years, I wrote many books but never submitted them for publication. Saint Michael is my first. My father turned me on to the fantasy fiction genre when I was a kid. He would read Jules Verne, H. G. Wells, Robert E. Howard, the Lord of Rings and he would take me to sci-fi movies at the theater: Planet of the Apes, 2001 a Space Odyssey, etc etc. So, I was hooked early on fantasy fiction.

What I am finding out, to my dismay, is that writing the book is one thing but getting it sold and marketed is another entirely. I say this: “You could have a Picasso hanging in your garage. And it could be worth a million dollars. But if no one knows it’s there?” Plus you have to find the right niche for your work. Saint Michael and the Dragon is not a cookbook. In fact, I know that the audience for a Christian – horror – fantasy – knights and dragons story is out there but won’t be easy to find.

You make reference to your story being realistic, but biblically relevant. Can you give an example?

This is an excerpt from the book. The knight Sir Carlos is having a discussion with the boy, Michael and his friend Argie.

"Yes, I serve the king and his kingdom. Everyone in this land is a part of the kingdom. I fight for you, Michael. I fight to keep you and your family safe. In the heat of battle, sometimes the only thing that keeps me going is remembering the faces of the children. When I look at the smiles of the little children like yourselves, I see the face of God. Didn't our Lord Jesus say, 'Let the little children come unto me and do not forbid them, for such is the kingdom of heaven?’” (Matthew 19:14) 

"Yes, He did. Sir Carlos," Michael said smiling. "Jesus also said, 'There is no greater love than a man lay down his life for his brother." (John 15:13)

Sir Carlos' eyes lit up. He placed a clenched fist over his heart and spoke to the sky. "Lord, you speak to me through the little ones and I hear you!"

These are the types of characters and dialogue we don’t get in fantasy fiction today. My mission is to change that. I want to make Spirit-led individuals more mainstream.

Your book appears to be a Children’s book… the cover which you drew yourself and the title makes me think it’s a child’s bedtime story. But your description in Amazon says something different: “This book is recommended for supervised reading to smaller children”… Can you explain that in more detail?

Great question. Ok, my children love this book but I recommend it for ten-year-olds and up. Why? Because there are scenes which have demons and possessed beings in them. I don’t want to give away too much but I would prefer that older children and adults have access to this book. What we tend to minimize in today’s society is that our children are watching movies and reading books with much more gore and evil presented to them… the movies are full of it.. IT… that movie about a clown… the scenes there are of all kinds of horror and children being... Well, you know. And all the Freddy Kruger movies... kids today have seen it all. What I am bringing is a Christian perspective. The bible tells of the mad man of Gadara and the story of the possessed man in Acts 19, pure examples of demonic interaction. And we can’t ignore the angels who are mentioned in the bible. Some angelic beings posed as men… the story of Lot.

What Biblical themes or messages have you included in your novel?

At the end of the day, the main character learns that Christian principles were given to us to live by on a daily basis and that the final answer is always God. 

How has writing and being an author impacted your relationship with Jesus Christ or vice versa?

I have talked to our brother’s in Christ and only those who have been in the military or police work have what I call an ‘applied’ walk. What I mean by that is, with my military background and many years in security, I have survived many situations by the pure Grace of God and Psalm 91. I really can’t attribute it to anything else. And so it feels more real to me than perhaps those who have never faced a gun or have been violently attacked and have overcome those situations, praise the Lord. In my soul, I believe that during those times his feathers covered me and kept me from harm. So, I can write about it from that very real point of view.

What do we have to look forward to in the future from you?

I have several books that I have already written but am working on the editing.

The Camel Spider ... about kidnappers in Baghdad during Operation Iraqi Freedom. The hero of the story is born again Christian who has an ongoing dialogue with God throughout. Written with my friend and published author KR White.

Mayan Sun... an Evangelical college student explores his Mayan roots and becomes involved in mysticism.

The Moral Compass... a young woman loses her way in the world because of neglect during her youth and regains her moral compass through Christian principles.

My son July has come up with some mockups for the cover of the Camel Spider.

Where can you be found online:

At the moment I only have a Facebook page. 

Any closing comments before we go?

First, let me thank you for this opportunity. I don’t believe in chance. I prefer destiny. But let me say this about my future writings and Saint Mike … I am taking the secular hero and showing how it would have happened with a devout Spirit-filled Christian lead character. Some people will find it very difficult to palate but the books are already written. They just need some editing and promotion. I am already proud of this legacy. I hope our people will give my books a chance. I know that the success or failure of my work is out of my hands, PTL. Thanks again, my friend. God Bless everyone.

Lou, it has been a pleasure to have you as a guest on my blog and giving us some much-needed background to your novel. I am looking forward to reading it. I pray it will encourage and inspire readers in their Christian walk and relationship with God. I look forward to more creative endeavours from you. You are welcome to return with any other novels in the future. 

If this GC has piqued your interest in this novel, click on the image below to BUY/SHARE or PREVIEW it,

Readers and reviews are an author’s best asset, so I encourage any reader, to consider reading Saint Michael and the Dragon and submit a review on Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes and Noble and on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest (or any other social media you subscribe to).

Reviews help promote an author’s novel to potential readers and encourage the author to keep writing. Reviews also help get the author’s message (and God’s message) to the reader, whether Christian or not, who may need encouragement and support in their lives while being entertained by the story.

Please note: As an Amazon Associate, I am required to disclose that book cover images or titles of novels in this post are paid links if they are linked to Amazon and result in a sale.

Novel Review: Red Rider Rising (The Red Rider Saga, Book 2) by D. A. Randall

I reviewed this novel on 01/07/20 in a previous blog that I had, now defunct.

Red Rider Rising. 

Little Red Riding Hood isn't little anymore. And she is out for vengeance!

Her face scarred by a savage wolf, 16-year old Helena Basque dons a red hooded cloak and arms herself with a repeating crossbow and other assorted weapons to fight the sinister werewolf cult that threatens her French village.

“Get ready to see the classic tale reimagined as you’ve never seen it before. … transforming a children’s fairy tale into a supernatural action thriller with a Zorro-style vigilante.”​

“Full of thrilling discoveries and heart-pounding adventure! Helena 'Red' is as complex, driven, and bold as Katniss Everdeen (Hunger Games). You will be cheering for her from the start!”​

Discover how Helena's war with the wolves began, in RED RIDER RISING, Book 2 of the Red Rider Saga!

Perspective by Peter:

After being thoroughly entertained with The Red Rider (TRR) I had no hesitation to download Book 2, Red Rider Rising (RRR). I reviewed TRR as well done and a hit, but this next instalment takes this series to the next level. I regard the former novella as a good tasting entree while RRR is a satisfying feast!

So many times, the prequel is not better than Book 1 but in this case, RRR bypasses TRR and is leaps and bounds better. However, this does not detract from the overall enjoyment of this series but it actually consolidates it as a unified series. You could not read either as a stand-alone, they both need each other to provide essential information for the reading pleasure and understanding of the series.

This second instalment provides much necessary backstory to what happened before the Little Red Riding Hood fairy tale and after. There is so much more background to who the lycanthru are, how they came to be, their satanic worship and rituals. Some surprising twists here. Explained is more about the effect of the specific metal that kills them. I wondered if Randall had borrowed from some of the history surrounding the fairy tale's origins and it appears he may have and what he has he has added onto this, developing it further. This is where poetic licence comes into its own and is an effective tool in developing a story.

In doing this, Randall does not detract from the main character of Helena and how the wolf attack in the fairy tale has affected her. In TRR, we see how skilled she is in hunting them to death, but in RRR we see what were the motivating factors that led to her becoming the hunter and not the hunted any longer and how this skill and expertise is developed. I mentioned in my review of TRR that she is as "....one determined, high spirited, feisty adolescent and a very motivated one who does not see her gender as physical weakness or as socially inferior....". I should add gutsy to this description as well. It was a great read in this novel to see exactly what led to her being like this. Now we know what she is capable of, it is going to be interesting to see how Randall develops this further in Book 3, Red Rider Redemption.

Randall has been very effective and descriptive in developing further the characters from TRR even though this is in RRR which occurs before TRR. However, learning more about these characters in greater detail and their history gives the reader a greater appreciation of what Randall achieved in TRR. I have wondered how it would appear if RRR (Book 2 and the prequel) was read before TRR (Book 1). Having read them in the order Randall has planned has only increased the anticipation of what is to come in Book 3 and I feel it would be better for this series to be read in Book order. There is one main reason for this. If RRR is read first, its ending does not hint at the events of where Grenault fits into the story in TRR. So if RRR is read first then TRR, it becomes disjointed as the ending of RRR does not lead into the start of TRR where Grenault exists as the latter is not a character or has a story arc in RRR. Even in TRR there is not much explained about his origins or whether he succeeded the Prime wolfman in RRR. This seems to be a strategic plan by Randall. And an effective one. I say this because you are left wondering what happens to the lycanthru at the end of TRR and also of those lycanthru at the end of RRR. It appears until otherwise connected (I am hoping in Book 3) that these are either two separate packs or those in TRR are more recent of this pack than those in RRR.

The only logical conclusion to this is that all will be linked and explained in Red Rider Redemption. I can already see that this will be even more action-packed and suspenseful than these first two. My anticipation for this final novel is high. And I am hoping it is not a novella but a full length like RRR.

If any reader thinks that the action and adventure, mystery and suspense is addictive in the TRR, it is upped a few notches in RRR. You hit the road running and it does not let up. I stayed up late last night as it is un-put-downable and keeps you thirsting for more. Just like a being at a feast when you allow yourself to eat to your fill or more than your fill! Not encouraging gorging by saying this!

If a novella gives you a taste of what a novelist's writing is like, its pillars of novel construction, story arcs, characterisation, pace and flow, then a longer novel should reinforce this and show all these in greater intensity. Randall is skilled at this. This novel ups the pace, the flow, the suspense, action and adventure. I have already mentioned the same about the characters. And the plot arcs are so intertwined and given more depth that this will lead to one explosive ending in Book 3. This author writes well and is succinct in his dealing with all these pillars that make up a novel. This only adds to the suspense, action and adventure and enhances the characterisation, especially concerning Helena. And this is important as this trilogy needs to be character-driven and not plot-driven. Randall has chosen well between these two. Even from the fairy tale, the main focus is on Little Red Riding Hood. To develop that fairy tale into an expanded storyline, means it has to be a continuation of the fairy tale's construction. Having a plot-driven construction would reinforce the action and adventure and fast pace but make the characters of lesser importance and less three-dimensional and relatable. Even the trilogy titles imply that this trilogy is character-driven.

This novel shows Randall means serious business with this trilogy. He gave us a taste for this in TRR and it has only intensified in this instalment.

My only criticism of both instalments is that degree of faith or spirituality. In both, we have Helena relying on Father Vestille for how to fight this demonic invasion and he suggests that she exercise her faith. In TRR we see the beginnings of this now she has to move forward with this new threat from Grenault and his pack members. In RRR we have her showing more faith in praying to God to deliver her when she has been captured and tortured by the lycanthru or when being chased by them. I would have liked to have seen Randall deal with this demonic source and effects of the lycanthru by the power of the Spirit, by the use of the Name of Jesus and other spiritual warfare methods used in the Bible and given to those who have a relationship with Jesus. Randall has both Father Vestille and Helena as Christians so this could have been depicted as the weapons of their warfare. If Randall is depicting the demonic from a Biblical worldview, then fighting them would also need the Biblical equivalent I have described. The specific metal used by Helena to kill could still be used as a secondary method in individual warfare as we have seen in both novels.

At present, this novel is only available as a free download upon subscription to Randall's newsletter but I understand it is to be released on Amazon in the very near future. I am so glad about this as a novel of this calibre does not need to be in the background and only given limited exposure to those who subscribe to his newsletter. This is only limiting the author's exposure and the reader's.

I predict this novel to be a hit with the large majority of readers. This gives justice to those authors and their novels who deal with a retelling of classic fairy tales. As I said in my review of TRR, "...I find that with fairy tale retellings it can either be a hit or miss. With this new offering by Randall, it is a hit"! I am looking forward with high anticipation to the next instalment of this series. I am also looking forward to reading the remainder of Randalls novels. This is one author to follow and support in reading and reviewing his novels.

Highly Recommended.

If you would like to investigate this novel further, click on the image below:

Readers and reviews are an author’s best asset, so I encourage any reader, to consider reading  Red Rider Rising and submit a review on Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes and Noble and on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest (or any other social media platform you subscribe to).

Reviews help promote an author’s novel to potential readers and encourage the author to keep writing. Reviews also help get the author’s message (and God’s message) to the reader, who may need encouragement and support in their lives while being entertained by the story.

Please note: As an Amazon Associate, I am required to disclose that book cover images or titles of novels in this post are paid links if they are linked to Amazon and result in a sale.

Novel Review: The Red Rider (The Red Rider Saga Book 1) by D. A. Randall

 I reviewed this novel on 26/06/20 in a previous blog that I had, now defunct.

The Red Rider Saga Book 1

Little Red Riding Hood isn’t little anymore.

My name is Helena Basque. I’m sixteen years old. As a child, I was attacked by a savage wolf that killed my Grand’Mere and left me with triple scars across my face. That wolf belonged to the Lycanthru, a secret cult of men who transform into wolves to attack the innocent here in La Rue Sauvage. No one will stand up to them, so I now hunt the wolves myself with weapons that destroy them, wearing my red hood and cloak that the wolves have come to fear.

Except for one, a new Lycanthru named Grenault. Bigger, stronger, more cunning than the other wolves, and not the least bit afraid of me. I need to stop him fast, before he takes over the Lycanthru to kill me and everyone I love.

But he’s too smart and too strong, He sees me for the little girl I am, scared and defenseless without my special weapons.

And I have no idea how to stop him.

Get ready to battle the beast.

Perspective by Peter:

I was asked by the author to review this novel before its release. I am glad I did. I find that with fairy tale retellings it can either be a hit or miss. With this new offering by Randall, it is a hit!

Randall writes well and has constructed a world that is believable and imaginative. You know the storyline is set in France and rural France at that. He has depicted the small-town mentality of the people and of the era. They know each other, rely on each other, a close community and their civility is a strong part of this. I can just hear the French accent as I read the French names of Helena's town, La Rue Sauvage, the Inn, La Maison de Touraine, the iron forge, L’atelier de Forgeron de Leone and the villager's names with the titles Madame, Monsieur, Mademoiselle, first names, Pierre (my namesake!) and  Lisette, Thayer, Grenault, Luc, Frayne, surnames such as Grenault, Deveraeux, Verona and Leone, to name a few.

This fitted in well with my love of the French language, having learnt this in secondary school (high school for my American readers). My name can be said in any language and in French it is Pierre Jeunemari! (Jeune = Young and Mari= Husband). Randall could use this for any new names in this series!

Randall starts the novel off with action and suspense. This sets the pace for this novel. It does not let up. Helena is in the thick of it, albeit a victim of physical abuse and bullying in the opening scenes but then we discover she is a victim of a wolf attack as the backdrop to the fairy tale that most of us grew up with. It is here that Randall comes into his own.

The rest of the novella is about how she had grown up seeking the skills to exact revenge on the wolf pack that attacked her and killed her grandmere (grandmother). And this lends itself to the character of Helena and enables us to get to know her, sympathise with her and her reality and commit our support to her. You instantly take sides of the protagonist here. Maybe we are already biased and have given her our support from reading the fairy tale as an impressionable child?

Randall not only keeps the wolf species of the fairy tale, but gives it a supernatural twist. This is just not the natural wolf as we know them, but has depicted them as Lycanthru (literally wolfman), a secret cult of men who transform into wolves to attack the innocent. This is the supernatural element but also that they can do this by dabbling into dark magic that enables them to still talk, think and fight like men. They need a sulphurous potion (in vials) to ingest that enables them to do so.

For added suspense, mystery, action and adventure, Randall has depicted Grenault as an invincible lycanthru, bigger, stronger, smarter than the rest of them and whose sole purpose is to be the next Prime (alpha male and wolf) to rule over the town and his pack. Total control and total submission with fear and trembling!

The main thrust of this novella is a battle for Helena to overcome her fear and intimidation of her past and to be free of this scourge and to defeat the lycanthru. She is successful in killing all the members of Grenault's pack, except for him. He is her ultimate challenge and a formidable opponent. After identifying her weaknesses as immaturity of age (16 years) and her gender being no challenge to his reign of terror, he plays on these in his fight against her. It is a war of words and physical strength. He demeans and wears her down by intimidation in words, behaviour, physical strength, and size. But her defence is not of this, but other tactics such as her faith and the use of other weapons that Pierre and Francois provide and spiritual input from Father Vestille. She uses them all effectively in the end. Now she is the formidable opponent!

Randall has depicted Helena as one determined, high spirited, feisty adolescent and a very motivated one who does not see her gender as physical weakness or as socially inferior. She is the only one who has taken the responsibility to rid the town of this lycanthru scourge and threat. This is contrasted by Grenault being overconfident, arrogant, and with a distorted image of himself that he can only the one to be alpha male and lycanthru and tyrannical despot. There is also a hint of the demonic influence in him.

Despite this being a novella of 101 pages (kindle version), Randall packs a lot into this space. It works as an effective tool for the remainder of this series. I would recommend readers to subscribe to Randall's newsletter to get Book 2 as a free download, Red Rider Rising, to give the background to this first instalment. This should then tie in with Book 3 which I understand is not too far away.

This is an addictive series and I am sure one will remember this with fondness. This series could be very therapeutic in helping someone resolve any long-lasting distress from reading this as a child!

Highly Recommended. 

If you would like to investigate this novel further, click on the image below:

Readers and reviews are an author’s best asset, so I encourage any reader, to consider reading The Red Rider and submit a review on Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes and Noble and on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest (or any other social media platform you subscribe to).

Reviews help promote an author’s novel to potential readers and encourage the author to keep writing. Reviews also help get the author’s message (and God’s message) to the reader, who may need encouragement and support in their lives while being entertained by the story.

Please note: As an Amazon Associate, I am required to disclose that book cover images or titles of novels in this post are paid links if they are linked to Amazon and result in a sale.