with Ronald S. Barrios
We are delighted to welcome mystery author Ronald S. Barrios to Omnimystery News today.
Ronald is the author of the Rey crime thrillers, the most recent of which is Year of the Dragon (Rey Books; trade paperback and ebook formats).
We recently had the chance to talk to Ronald about his books.
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Omnimystery News: Tell us a little more about your mystery series.
Photo provided courtesy of
Ronald S. Barrios; Photo credit Angelica Barrios
Ronald S. Barrios: I write a series about a Private Investigator from Oakland, CA, named Rey. Each book in the series is a standalone novel but I liked the idea of having a character who is human, meaning flawed, so he can develop as the series progresses but at the same time he has some good characteristics that he'll keep because they make him who he is. It's like, growing but not changing, it that makes sense.
OMN: How would you characterize the genre of your books?
RSB: I really don't like labels even though I see the purpose of them. I'm kind of a mixed breed, a hybrid. You see, I'm a Christian and even though I don't write "Christian" novels, my faith will spill into my writing in the sense that I don't use profanity or write sex scenes. I do incorporate action, some violence and plot twists that deal with everyday life. I've had publishers tell me I'm not mainstream enough and Christian publishers tell me I'm not "Christian" enough. But my goal is just to write good books that everyone can relate to. Plus I've been told my writing is everything from Hard-boiled to mystery to thriller. I'll give you an example, sometimes in my novels there is no happy ending, just like in real life. There is no, Rey saves the day. There's just, it is what it is and the characters have to cope with what has happened. Sometimes Rey has to pick the lesser of two evils to solve a case. You'll find a perfect example of that in my short story "An Object in Motion". A "short story" — another label — that is almost a hundred pages long. I just go with "mystery" for now until they think up a label for me.
OMN: How much of your own personal experience have you included in your books?
RSB: The character of Rey is based on me to a large degree. When I was growing up I used to do graffiti and I took the name "Rey". It stuck and to this day everyone calls me Rey, from my wife to my relatives. Everyone except my Mom. Rey grew up in Oakland, as did I. He knows a lot of people and has family in Oakland that he is close with, as do I. But that's pretty much where it ends. Other characters area hybrid of people I've come across, maybe a walk, maybe a certain phrase they would use, but nothing specific. The city of Oakland is also a main character in my novels.
OMN: Tell us a more about your writing process.
RSB: I never write outlines. I admire anyone disciplined enough to write an outline for a novel but I just can't. I tried once and ended up with nearly three hundred (300) pages of outline and never wrote that particular novel. I spent so much time creating background and laying the plot that I lost the story completely. Even now — stops and thinks — yeah, to this day I have no idea what that story was about. I cycle my characters in and out as needed for the story. Like actors everyone has a role to play. In fact there are only four main characters and only two of them will appear in every novel. Rey and the love of his life, Ashley Garrett. The other two, Sam Spade, the homicide cop and my nod to Dashiell Hammett, and Chris Nathan, Rey's best friend and fellow Private Investigator, are in novels where they are germane to the storyline. More so than any other characters but as needed. I start by thinking of a plot then I write chapter one, then chapter two grows out of chapter one and chapter three out of chapter two and so on until the story is complete. That's why I can't outline, I never know where the story is going to go until I finish writing a chapter.
OMN: How do you go about researching the plot points of your books?
RSB: I use the internet and buy books when I have to. The most challenging and exciting topic so far was Chinese culture and history for Year of the Dragon. I had to learn enough to make the story make sense but leave enough wiggle room to create the fictional Tongs, or cells of the mafia. It was a matter of blending actual history with what I created to make the story believable.
OMN: You mentioned earlier that Oakland is a principal character in your books. How true are you to this setting?
RSB: My books are set in Oakland, California. That's where Rey lives and downtown Oakland is where his office is. I stay as true to the actually City as possible but as you know things change all the time. But for the most part I try to be accurate. Oakland is as much a character in my novels as the people characters. Oakland may not have much to do with plots but as I said, it's character in the sense that I want anyone reading who is from Oakland, or currently lives there, to recognize certain places and landmarks and for those who have never been I want them to have a feel for Oakland and if they ever visit be able to find some of the places that I mention in my books. It makes it more real.
OMN: If you could travel anywhere in the world to do some research on your next book, all expenses paid, where would it be?
RSB: To tell the truth I don't need to travel anyplace because most of my novels take place in the Bay Area, Oakland and the surrounding cities. I grew up here so I've done all the research I pretty much need to do. But I'd like an all expense paid trip to the Super Bowl.
OMN: What are some of your outside interests? Have any of these found their way into your books?
RSB: I enjoy sport and watching movies, a little bit of traveling, my family. I think all of those have found their way into my novels.
OMN: What is the best advice, and also the harshest criticism, you've received as an author?
RSB: The best advice I received was from my former agent who once told me to let the chapters flow. Meaning, if the chapter ended up being one page or ten, don't force it. When it's over it's over. I was trying to lengthen my chapters and believe me they looked forced. The harshest criticism, let me think, don't try to write what I don't know about without doing the proper research. That one came from my wife. I learned that both my former agent and my wife were right. As for what advice I would give aspiring authors, never let anyone tell you you're not a writer. It doesn't matter if you've published a book or not, the fact that writing is your passion makes you a writer. You still need to put in the work and write, but if you know that you are already a writer then the rejections, that you will get, and the criticism, be it constructive or abusive, won't bother you as much.
OMN: Complete this sentence for us: "I am a mystery author and thus I am also …".
RSB: I am a mystery author and thus I am also … prone to want to write dialog for real people!
OMN: Have you ever considered using a pen name?
RSB: I use my real name. I just never thought to use a pen name especially since most people know me as Rey. It's like I am using a pen name by using my real name because some people ask me, "Who's Ronald S. Barrios?"
OMN: What kinds of feedback have you received from your readers?
RSB: I enjoy all feedback and questions, positive or negative. I like honesty and sometimes honesty isn't flattering.
OMN: Give us the backstory to the cover of Year of the Dragon.
RSB: I love this book cover. Year of the Dragon was designed by a guy named Brandon Rosa professionally known as King B. The book was titled that because in this story Rey takes on a case where he's hired by the head of a cell of the Chinese Mafia, James Yuen, who was born under the year of the dragon which takes place the year the book was released. Year of the water dragon to be precise but I didn't like that for a title. There is a hit put out on James and he needs Rey to keep him alive and find out who is trying to kill him. Now there's also an ancient prophecy that says whoever kills the "Dragon" will absorb his power and influence and they must kill the king protecting the dragon, and as you know "Rey" means "king" in Spanish. But I don't want to give too much away.
OMN: If the Rey series were to be adapted for televisioin or film, who do you see playing the key roles?
RSB: You know, it's funny because when I first wrote Rey I knew he was based loosely on me but I knew he didn't look like me and I didn't have an idea who could ever play him until I saw Vin Diesel, and I thought, "Oh crap, that's Rey!" As for Chris Nathan, he would have to be played by my real life best friend Nathan Scott who is an actor. I wrote Chris and looked at Nate one day and again thought, "Oh crap, that's Chris!". I have a lot of "Oh crap" moments.
OMN: What kinds of books did you read when you were young?
RSB: I started off reading a little Sherlock Holmes then I got into fantasy, The Martian Chronicles, then into adventure, Conan, then into Sci-Fi, Star Wars, then I saw The Maltese Falcon on TV and that got me into Dashiell Hammett. I loved how The Maltese Falcon was set in the Bay Area, but it was San Francisco. Don't get me wrong, I love SF. Great city, but I was from Oakland. I wanted to read about Oakland. Then I discovered that Jack London was from Oakland. Not SF. I read call of the wild and was filled with a sense of pride. I wanted to write about a Private Investigator like Phillip Marlow, only in Oakland. I had the character in mind since I was maybe nine or ten. Then one day I was introduced to the works of the Dean of Crime Fiction, Robert B. Parker and his character Spenser. It blew my mind. Parker had created the very character I had only his was from Boston and he loved Boston as much as I love Oakland. I read everything I could by Parker and still do. He remains the only famous person I ever wanted to meet. Sadly I never did, he passed away. But his wife, Joan did friend me on Facebook before she passed away. She liked my Rey Books facebook page and truth be told we only exchanged a few sentences in the year or so she was on Facebook but she was a very kind woman.
OMN: And what do you read today for pleasure?
RSB: Mystery novels. I actually like where Ace Atkins is taking the Spenser novels, he took over for Parker. I like indie authors. Not just because I'm one, haha. But the mystery novels coming out on kindle right now are incredible.
OMN: What kinds of movies do you enjoy watching?
RSB: I'm a nerd, I love all the Pirates of the Caribbean films, Lord of the Rings, Hobbit, I also like Vin Diesel movies and of course Star Wars, the originals. I love the classics with Humphry Bogart, James Cageny. I like action movies. I like thinking movies, such as Spy Games. I can see how movies like Spy Games influence my writing because I don't like stories that are easy to figure out, which is why I always have a twist in the plots of my novels to make the reader say, "I didn't see that one coming!". I like comedy buddy cop movies like Bad Boys, which is the chemistry between Rey and Chris. I like a little of everything, even some romantic comedies, that's where you'll find Rey's interaction with Ashley. I also like Ice Cube's movies. He's a really good actor who makes good movies. You see, I also grew up on Hip Hop, N.W.A., Ice T, and E-40. You can see the influence on the way Rey dresses.
OMN: Create a Top 5 list for us on any subject.
RSB: Top 5 literary novels all mystery authors should read:
1. The Maltese Falcon;
2. Anything by Robert B. Parker;
3. The Stand, by Stephen King;
4. Earl Emerson's Thomas Black novels; and
5. The Bible, it has everything from murder, intrigue, mystery, betrayal and redemption. It's all in there.
OMN: What's next for you?
RSB: At the encouragement of my wife I've written my first Young Adult novel which is the first of a new series. I didn't think I could do it but she kept saying that I could, for over a year or two, so I did. That will be released this year along with a new Rey novel that I'm writing as you read this. I'm looking forward to the rest of 2014.
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Ronald S. Barrios was born and raised in Oakland California and wanted to be a writer for as far back as he could remember. He started writing short stories at the age of seven for himself and his family. In school he excelled in English and his love of books grew. He read everything from Sherlock Holmes to science fiction but it was always mystery novels that kept his attention.
Ronald appreciates that we are living in an exciting time for authors in that reaching the masses is now just a keystroke away and he works hard to write books worthy of the readers who choose to read them. For more information about Ronald and his books, visit his Facebook page or find him on Twitter.
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Year of the Dragon
Ronald S. Barrios
A Rey Crime Thriller
James Yuen is the leader of a Chinese Mafia family, he's also the target of a plot that involves ritualistic murder. When James and his daughter Jennifer hire Rey to protect him and find the would-be killers they neglect to tell him that because of an ancient prophecy Rey's life will also be in danger.
The case turns out to be more than Rey counted on so he turns to Chris Natan. Now Rey and Chris are involved in a deadly game of cat and mouse and in order to get the help they need Rey must agree to locate someone for Steve Austin. The only problem is there is a real possibility that Steve may have to kill the man he needs Rey and Chris to find.
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