Orsayor: Is there any particular author or book that influenced you in any way either growing up or as an adult?
Raymond: The Coldest Winter Ever was the first book I read and really, really related to. It made me look at literature as something I could actually do as opposed to just something other people did, and I enjoyed. Donald Goines was the author that really changed my view of writing, because he had so many great books, and I valued his consistency. Instead of wanting to write one legendary book, he made me want to have a complete catalog of classics.
Orsayor: How do you react to a bad review of one of your books?
Raymond: It depends where it comes from. There are so many politics that go into reviews now. For example, if I get a 1-star review and then look at the customers’ other reviews and if there aren’t any, I would assume this a specific person (with a made-up account) who doesn’t like me. This is a dirty game and there are lots of reasons why other authors secretly leave other authors bad reviews. Now if I get a bad review from someone who has been a fan of mine for a long time; that hurts because I feel like I let them down. I haven’t had that happen yet fortunately. Generally, I don’t let bad reviews bother me though; everyone is entitled to their opinion.
Orsayor: What inspired you to start writing?
Raymond: Well, I used to daydream a lot so I always had stories in my head. The events going on in my life when I wrote my first book also contributed to my inspiration. I was living out a motel, so things were really crazy for me at that time. I just wanted to express myself, and writing was the best way for me to personally do that. Some people use music; others use art, but for me, writing is where I am most comfortable expressing the way I am feeling.
Orsayor: If you could be invisible, where would you go and what would you do?
Raymond: I would like to check out Area 51 and see what’s really going on there. I want to know what the government is hiding. I’m fascinated by aliens, time travel, and all that weird stuff. So that would be at the top of my list. The old me would have said rob a bank, but the new me is more mature, so I would use my invisibility for something more than my own personal gain.
Orsayor: If you suddenly found yourself turned into a woman, how would you spend your day?
Raymond: I wouldn’t leave the house; I know that. The way I see these corny ass dudes harassing women out here would drive me crazy. I’d probably just sleep until I was a man again. I couldn’t handle being a woman, too hard!
Orsayor: What would you like for your Readers to know?
Raymond: I’d like my readers to know that they can always hit up my inbox on FB or email me (raymondfrancis09@yahoo.com). I love feedback on my books and also that I appreciate anyone who has ever taken the time to read any of my books.
Orsayor: Thank you so much for going OFF THE RECORD with Book Referees.
Raymond: My pleasure…
Check out Author Raymond Francis’s Amazon Page for more information….
http://www.amazon.com/Raymond-Francis/e/B00738VDUI/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_6?qid=1377993786&sr=8-6
