Tom Xavier | Reedsy Discovery

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about 1 year ago

I’m sitting in a coffee shop here in NOLA listening to Cajun versions of Christmas carols and thinking about the details that would matter if I were describing this setting. Interesting is the ornate oak piece on the back wall behind the barista’s counter that must have come from some bar or saloon. There are the street residents across the road with their mongrel dogs and stained clothing. I like the closed storefronts visible from my window with their steel-shuttered windows and doors secured by heavy chains with huge padlocks, an homage to the crime levels in the French Quarter. How does an author describe these details in a way that makes this scene feel as rich and peculiarly charming as it is on this cloudy morning? Here’s the fun part of writing. Some authors excel at their descriptive prose, elevating it nearly to poetry. I like to create a feeling mainly through my story and its characters. So I’d focus on what they’re thinking, feeling, and saying. In other words, describing the scene through their eyes, with my voice merely a whisper.

posted an updateabout 1 year ago

about 1 year ago

This week, I’m in New Orleans, a city proud of its rich but blemished heritage. When I was writing The Case of the Crying Signpost, I was constantly aware I was a non-native daring to set my story in a city I had only visited but never called home. Of course, an outsider’s viewpoint isn’t illegitimate; it’s only from a different perspective. And certainly, a local’s perception of her or his home can be filled with biases and stereotypes of various sorts. On any subject, it’s best if there’s literature bringing both native and outside perspectives. The world needs both.

left a comment on The Case of the Crying Signpostabout 1 year ago

about 1 year ago

Thank you for the kind words. I hope your grandsons enjoy the story. It’s why I wrote it: for kids to enjoy and maybe learn from.

posted an updateover 1 year ago

over 1 year ago

My fantasy as a writer is to have a book banned in Florida. The Case of the Crying Signpost has a couple of scenes in which segregation is explored but it’s not nearly enough, I fear, to gain me conservative notoriety. On the other hand, Neffatira’s First Challenge creates a society based on class and discrimination and the sequel I’m writing introduces a race of beings who undergo annual gender transformations. Maybe that will earn me my coveted badge of artistry.

posted an updateover 1 year ago

over 1 year ago

Now Follett, now Grisham, now Roberts and Ephron, On Clancy, on Steele, on Flynn and Patterson, To the front of store kiosks, To the top of Times book lists, Now sell away, sell away, all! And to every indie author and small press author, too: May your nose shine brightly, And your books sell merrily, and your sales go swimmingly, too.

posted an updateover 1 year ago

over 1 year ago

I imagine readers like historical fiction for different reasons. I have a friend who prefers heavily researched, historically accurate fiction that allows her to learn painlessly about history. When I was a kid, I found a dog-eared copy of a Horatio Hornblower novel and loved its historical setting, finding real life to be more relatable than fantasy, with all the little details of the characters’ earlier ways of living making me think about the differences in my life. Dates and events didn’t matter much and I didn’t care about historical accuracy. After all, I was reading fiction. I just wanted characters wearing odd hats and eating unfamiliar foods and thinking strange thoughts. These things gave me an escape to a strange world that filled my imagination.

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Do parents still read aloud? Do teachers? I wrote The Case of the Crying Signpost with reading aloud in mind, and then tested the story by having two elementary school teachers read the manuscript aloud to their students, followed by a classroom visit by me to get the kids' feedback. However, I have wondered how often kids have books read to them.

started following over 1 year ago

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over 1 year ago

Neffatira's First Challenge is being considered for a second printing (with revisions) by Saguaro Books. Is anything more fun for an author than doing the hard work of a rewriting?

started following over 1 year ago

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launched The Case of the Crying Signpostover 1 year ago

over 1 year ago

The Case of the Crying Signpost

"Exciting, instructive, and enjoyable." - Children's Book Review "Intriguing and engaging from star...

left a comment on The Case of the Crying Signpostover 1 year ago

over 1 year ago

Thanks, Kristine L. What I most appreciate about your review is that you capture the key elements of the plot. My goal as a writer is always to … well, I won’t say what my goal is. If anyone is curious, just ask! Or ask any questions you might have.

started following about 2 years ago

about 2 years ago

added Holes (Holes Series) to the bookshelf about 2 years ago

about 2 years ago

Holes (Holes Series)

added Twin killing: The Bill Mazeroski story to the bookshelf about 2 years ago

about 2 years ago

Twin killing: The Bill Mazeroski story

added This Tender Land: A Novel to the bookshelf about 2 years ago

about 2 years ago

This Tender Land: A Novel

imported 60 books to their Library about 2 years ago

about 2 years ago

The Apothecary Rose

The Color of Magic

Slaughterhouse-Five

The Maltese Falcon

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

Cleopatra: A Life

The Alchemyst

Eragon

Benjamin Franklin: An American Life

On the Edge of Gone

started following about 2 years ago

about 2 years ago

About me

Tom Xavier's first book, Dark Curses, Faerie Dreams, was award-winning. Kirkus Reviews described his next book, Neffatira’s First Challenge, as a “rousing series opener with equal portions of action and social commentary.” Tom loves writing books about girls and boys who travel to amazing places.

Profile URL

https://reedsy.com/discovery/user/tomxavier8326

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