SPOTLIGHT RICO AUSTIN

[Fran Lewis]

Welcome: Rico

 

Rico:  Thank You Fran for inviting me as a guest for Your interview. 

 

DAY ONE:

 

Fran: Please give everyone a brief summary of My Bad Tequila and why you decided to share your story?

 

Rico: "My Bad Tequila" is a revealing, a story of one man's epic journey through life which begins with the main character Rhet Austen boarding a blue school bus once painted yellow. Rhet has saved his hard earned dinero (money) to take a once in a lifetime Spring Break trip that is offered at Boise State University by a dive instructor whom also serves as bus driver and guide. This disastrous Spring Break trip to Mexico does not end up being the Dream Vacation that Rhet had envisioned.

 

I, the author Rico give insight to Rhet's soul and personality by taking my readers into short stories and memories of Rhet's past that have led up to this painful experience and trip.

I wanted to share this story because this Spring Break of 1986 had such a significant and powerful impact on my life and the way I looked at life from that point on.  I do hope that this novel will help young high school and college age students to understand there are sometimes dire consequences for not making the right choice or in heavy irresponsible drinking.  This novel covers so many problem areas in life and there is something valuable that every Adult – Old and Young alike can take away from this read of “My Bad Tequila”:

 

Gambling, Alcoholism, Binge Drinking, Bullying within our School System, Imprisonment Life, Gang Affiliation, Driving While Intoxicated and Irresponsible Sex are all mentioned and discussed in this book.  Social irresponsibility of the NFL and our Government is also mentioned in Chapter 20 of “My Bad Tequila” in regards to how they reacted to the Pat Tillman incident and in dealing with an honorable request from his close Amigo, fellow ASU and NFL football player Jake Plummer.

 

Fran: What started this chain of events that went downhill for Rhet?

 

Rico: The chain of events of this Spring Break gone bad are best explained in the following passage from Chapter 5 of "My Bad Tequila."

 

"If I had not gone on that trip, if I had just opted to wait a few minutes more for the local bus and put my two pesos into the tin box. If I had not flagged down the pickup truck. If .........

 

There are so many ifs that if just one thing had been done differently the outcome of serveral of our lives, including my own, would have been different. I now believe in physics, in the complete power of physics. Even though I refused to take it in my undergraduate studies I know more about physics than I wish to know. Newton's Third Law of Motion states, "for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction."

 

"MY BAD TEQUILA" was in infancy when I made the decision to leave Boise and handed over to Craig my first installment of $75.00 for the trip. My choosing to do so, and the choices I continued to make while on "vacation" have impacted several lives, some of them strangers, some of them not so strange. And of course, "MY BAD TEQUILA" affected me and would later affect my family and friends."

 

Fran: What problems in his childhood spilled over and left a definite impression on him?

 

Rico: Rhet’s dad had been an alcoholic and had left the family several times and sometimes not returning for a year or two.  This put a hardship (both emotionally and financially) on Rhet, his brothers and mother.

 

Fran: Why did he feel like the scapegoat and why did everyone seem to blame him when things went wrong?

 

Rico: Rhet is the oldest of five brothers so he had to accept responsibility at an early age for himself and the younger siblings.  If anything went wrong when he was with his brothers or suppose to be watching them then Rhet was blamed.  Rhet developed a personality trait of believing most everything was his fault if anything went awry when he was around.

 

Fran: What was Rhet’s relationship with his family? Why were they not present when things happened ?

 

Rico: Rhet had a strong love for his family as they did for him.  The family was not around when the bad things started happening as Rhet preferred to tell no one that he was going on a Spring Break trip to Mexico.

 

Fran: Why did he decide to take this road trip and what happened at the bus stop that changed everything? Why did you decide to share this real life story from 1986 with everyone now in 2011?

 

Rico: Rhet wanted to take this trip to have fun, do some deep sea fishing and to have some time away from a new relationship he had formed with a young college co-ed and to decide where this relationship was headed. 

 

As quoted from Chapter 1 of “My Bad Tequila”:

 

“I wanted to get out of the cold, far from Boise, as my girlfriend and I had broken up a few weeks earlier.  I was already in another relationship and needed to think hard and long about where things were headed and if in the right direction.  It would do me good to get away, smell Mexico or the sea, didn’t matter, although I was looking forward to some deep sea angling.  I’ve always considered myself quite a fisherman even though it seems I have to barf each time I leave land behind.”

 

Fran: Why didn’t he wait for the bus? Why did he and several others hitch a ride?

 

Rico:  Rhet is an impatient human who would take shortcuts to avoid waiting any longer than necessary.  Rhet and some of his fellow Spring Breaker Amigos and Amigas were eager to start their Mexico adventure.

 

Fran: What happened to the some of his friends and why did he feel guilty?

 

Rico:  Fran, some terrible things happened to Rhet’s friends; however, I do not wish to expand upon this as I don’t want to spoil any of the book for those readers who have not yet experienced “My Bad Tequila.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

DAY TWO

 

Fran: Who is Barbie and what role does she play?

 

Rico:  Barbara is a young, blond (medium-long hair), hot, junior at Boise State University that is nicknamed “Barbie Doll” by Rhet upon his initially being introduced to this co-ed.

 

Barbie is one of the girls on the Mexico getaway that has sparked a shot of energy into Rhet and he wants her in a bad way.   Barbie is also the granddaughter of a famous actor as described in the book in Chapter 5 of “My Bad Tequila.”

 

Fran: Who is Tina and what happens to her?

 

Rico:  Tina is a love interest of Rhet’s and possibly his next real girlfriend.  The mystery that surrounds Tina is a huge part of the adventure and journey of “My Bad Tequila” and that is all I am going to say about that.  My readers will thoroughly enjoy this action and mystery novel.

 

Fran: Why does he reconnect with her and what does he hope will happen?

 

Rico:  Rhet has a weakness for beautiful and intelligent women as does the author.  ;-)

 

Fran: What happens after they finally leave Club Med and return home?

 

Rico: This is where the story really takes an unexpected turn and heats up that most of my readers have commented that they could not stop reading “My Bad Tequila” until the final page.  Again, I don’t want to spoil the story.

 

Fran: Why doesn’t his family come to help him?

 

Rico: Rhet’s family helps him as much as they can; but remember Rhet and his family have very little financially and economically.

 

Fran: Define My Bad Tequila: Why is this the main theme for the novel?

 

Rico: This story is “My Bad Tequila.”  “This spring getaway was supposed to be a fun experience and a pleasant memory.  It ended up being more than a memory; it was an unpleasant walk through life.” Chapter 1

 

As per Chapter 5 of “My Bad Tequila”:

 

“Club Med, on the outskirts of San Carlos, Sonora, Mexico was the true beginning of “MY BAD TEQUILA,” a phrase I coined a few months after returning back to Idaho from spring break.  Each of us has our own “My Bad Tequila,” it is something horrible and/or bizarre that has happened to you.  It may be world renowned or it may be a hidden, dark secret that only one, two or a handful of persons know of the damning occurrence.”

 

“MY BAD TEQUILA,” had it been a little less bad, might not have haunted me for all these years.”

 

Fran: What part does alcohol play and what happens to him every time he gets drunk?

 

Rico:  Alcohol – both Tequila and Cervazas (Beer) both play gigantic roles in this epic novel.

 

Each time Rhet drinks uncontrollably it causes him to not think clearly, sometimes even losing his short term memory and doing things of which he soon regrets.  This is what happens in real life to real humans.

 

Fran: What message do you want to send to those teens or young adults that are going to go on Spring Break?

 

Rico: First of all, I believe teens and young adults should have fun and build experience by taking trips or going on a Spring Break with other peers.  Having said this, Second: They need to think long and hard about the choices that are out there for them and remember there are consequences for every action whether it be a right choice/decision or a wrong choice/decision.  Third:  Binge Drinking or Irresponsible drinking and engaging in irresponsible sex is not recommended even though the character and also the author of “My Bad Tequila” has experienced life this way.  Bad things can happen that have everlasting and permanent scars, sometimes emotionally and sometimes physically.

 

Fran: If Rhet could change two things that happened what would he have done differently and why?

Rico: If Rhet could have or would have done two things different then perhaps this story would not have been so good and realistic.  Mistakes are a part of life and we need to learn from our mistakes.  Rhet should have learned from his mistake of heavy Tequila drinking, but did not and thus the return of “My Bad Tequila.”

 

Fran: Who is Craig and what part does he play in this novel?

 

Rico:  Craig is the bus driver for the 1600 mile trek from Boise, Idaho to San Carlos Mexico who is also a wanna be womanizer.  Craig has been to San Carlos several times as a leader of this Boise State University getaway and an excellent diver.  When and if “My Bad Tequila” is made into a movie, my choice of Hollywood actors to portray Craig would be Mr. Billy Bob Thorton.  I believe Billy Bob could pull this character portrayal off better than most any other actor.

 

Fran: How does he rise above at the end?

 

Rico:  I don’t believe Craig rises above at all.  In regards to Rhet, I’m not sure, all I know it that he is a character that is misunderstood.  He has a great and genuine heart but he doesn’t always make the correct decision.  I believe the readers will have a love/dislike relationship with the character Rhet.  I don’t think that Rhet is bad enough to have readers hate him, maybe dislike, but not hate.

 

DAY THREE

 

Fran: What made you decide to become a writer?

 

Rico:  I’ve had a love for writing since a young boy.  At age of 13 I was elected as Reporter for our local – Marsing, Idaho 4-H club, the Eager Beavers and have taken my writing serious and have had fun with it as well.  I’ve always known that I would someday write a novel that resembled my life.

 

Fran: Tell everyone about your career

 

Rico: To make this short, they can check out my Biography at the end of “My Bad Tequila” or on my website or blogs.  My life has been interesting, wild, fun and sometimes not so pleasant.  I’ve been able to experience wonderful happenings such as being an actor and on a “Bay Watch” episode, rode in the Goodyear Blimp, went to a Super Bowl football game, went to 4 of 7 World Series Games to see my Arizona Diamondbacks win against the New York Yankees, grew up with a fun family of four younger brothers, a strong mother and a dad that I adored but did not get to know very well or to tell him how much I loved him.

 

Fran: Is it true you are being sponsored by a Tequila company to help promote your book?

 

Rico: Yes Fran, this is true and it is exciting.  I am one of the first if not the absolute first Author to have corporate sponsors advertising in the rear of “My Bad Tequila.” 

 

I have an exceptional Tequila Sponsor “Azunia Tequila”  www.AzuniaTequila.com This fine Tequila is made and bottled in the state of Jalisco, Mexico and distributed out of San Clemente, California. 

 

I also have another great Sponsor “BloodyFine” Bloody Mary Mix “The Perfect Shot for the Morning After” www.BloodyFine.com based out of Boise, Idaho.

 

Not only are both of these companies fantastic Sponsors they are also Great Friends and have been a real Support System for “My Bad Tequila” and for me as a person and author.  I truly have 2 of the best sponsors that I could have possibly wished to have.   One of the things that make for such a great relationship is that all 3 of our companies, Azunia Tequila, BloodyFine and My Bad Tequila, LLC are all new companies and we are growing together and experiencing the joys and pains of being a small company.  Four Words to describe our working relationship – “Having Lots of Fun.”

 

 

Fran: How important are good reviews?

 

Rico:  Good Reviews are important, Great Reviews are Vital to the success of a fast start and enduring book sales. 

 

I see reviews as being similar to a trailer or preview of a movie to interest a reader or movie-goer to invest their disposable income in entertainment for themselves.  Good & Great Reviews tell projective and possible audiences that this Book or this Movie is worth the consumers money and time as an entertainment and time investment.  I am very fortunate to have hit a strong enjoyment nerve of my readers.  “My Bad Tequila” has a Number Two Ranking on Amazon: #2 Top Rated in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Nonfiction > Travel > Latin America > Mexico  

 

 This has been made possible by having 16 of 18 (Five Star) Reviews on www.Amazon.com

 

Fran: How do you create that perfect twist or surprise ending in a novel that keeps the reader glued to the printed page until the very end?

 

Rico:  This is where creative imagination and real life experiences come in very handy.  The ending of “My Bad Tequila” is actually different than I had planned.  I was on a flight aboard a 737 airplane from Phoenix / Scottsdale Skyharbor Airport to Portland, Oregon at 34,000 feet when I finished the novel and penned “The End.”  My fingers took over the typing and just like that I had the perfect ending without it being pre-planned.  Upon completion, I just started shaking as I could not believe I was finally done with my first book.  It was a joyous moment yet a bit sad as I knew I would no longer be adding another Chapter to “My Bad Tequila.”

 

Fran: What is your next project?

 

Rico:  My next project is working on the possible movie of “My Bad Tequila.”  Discussions have already occurred with a Hollywood Director and his personal team.

 

Fran: What other things have your written?

 

Rico: This is the only novel, I have written short stories for newspapers and have done some reporting. 

 

I also participated in a published booklet by Sponsored by www.NAIWE.com & www.EbookWritingandMarketingSecrets.com with 13 other authors:  “How To Create Credibility As A Freelancer” 70 Tips from a Collection of Experts.   My contribution was titled “Blogging for Expert Status” and a copy of this may be found for sale on my website.  http://www.mybadtequila.com

 

 

Fran: How long did it take you to get this published and are you self-published?

 

Rico: I was very fortunate as I had a publisher several months before I had the novel finished. The first small publisher that I talked to asked me to send the first two chapters of the book to him and loved it.  I had a list of 100 publishers that I would send “My Bad Tequila” to and if not one of them were to pick it up then I would self-publish.

 

Fran: What pitfalls did you encounter when you started this project?

 

Rico:  The only pitfalls were in having the free time to write as I have a full time job.  Most of the story was written in the early hours of Saturday and Sunday morning after having “Happy Hour” at home on the back patio.  My wife would go to bed and I to my home office and begin writing while in the creative state of having had margaritas and cervezas.  Hemingway wrote when drinking rum, I write mostly and very well when drinking tequila and/or beer.

 

Fran: How are you promoting and marketing your novel?

 

Rico: I have done several book signings, at book stores, at book and author festivals and in bars and restaurants.  I have a unique product in the name of the book “My Bad Tequila” as the bars or night clubs usually have a margarita or tequila special during my signing.  Even the Scottsdale Library had a signature cocktail “My Bad Tequila Margarita” at the event which I was invited. http://scottsdalelibraryfriends.org/events.html  

 

http://www.azcentral.com/thingstodo/stage/articles/2011/05/12/20110...

 

I am also promoting my novel using social media which has been very instrumental in getting my name and my story recognized and out there to the public.  I utilize Facebook, Twitter and have my own Website and 2 different Blog sites of which I put the same Blog onto both sites.  Twitter = mybadtequila  Blogs: http://blog.mybadtequila.com & http://mybadtequila.wordpress.com

 

Fran: What advice would you give young people or new authors that want to share their own personal stories?

 

Rico: WRITE, Write, write, continue to always write as the more You write, the better You will become at writing.  Write what You know and try not and worry if someone else will like it, if You put your heart, soul, emotions and complete mind into writing it, someone else will love it as well.  There will be naysayers and people that have abandoned their dreams and will try to discourage and destroy Your Dreams; Don’t let this happen, Dream and Live Your Dream.

 

Ernest Hemingway said it best which is on page 1 of the Preface of “My Bad Tequila.”  ‘“In order to write about life, first you must live it” as quoted by the great Hemingway.’

 

Fran: What are the warning signs of someone that drinks? What are the major signs parents and even spouses and friends should look out for?

 

Rico: Fran, I am going to answer this question for warnings of someone that drinks excessively.  If and when a person is drinking much more than other individuals he or she is with then there could be cause for concern.  Also, becoming intoxicated to the extent of where the individual may be doing or saying things that they would normally never do or say. Drinking alone is also a major concern because it is not social drinking.  The person may be depressed or has become addicted to alcohol and has to have a drink to function or to feel comfortable.  If you feel someone close to You may have a drinking problem, please have them seek professional help.  I am not an expert on this subject, nor do I claim to be an expert; but, I do know that I have been fortunate to have lived to tell my story.

 

Fran: Your story is authentic and written in your own voice: How were you able to make sure that your voice would be heard loud and clear in this novel?

 

Rico:  Thank You Fran for the compliment of saying that “my story is authentic” as this is one of the major points that I take pride in as an author that my work and art of writing style is unique.  I am also honored that my writing ability and style remind different people of some very famous authors such as Ernest Hemingway, Mark Twain, John Knowles, Frank Abagnale, Dean Koontz, Kurt Vonnegut, Hunter S. Thompson & the late J.D. Salinger.

 

I was able to make my voice heard loud and clear because of being very honest, open and forthright in the writing and development of my story.  I opened all my life for the world to see: of personal failures, disappointments, regrets, emotions, thoughts, love, hate, joys and adventures.  I am extremely proud of this novel; although I am not proud of all the things that I have done in my past that may be shared in “My Bad Tequila.”

 

Fran: One final question: Where can everyone get your novel and what are your websites.

 

Rico: My novel is available at www.Amazon.com, www.BarnesAndNoble.com, www.BooksAMillion.com, www.Powells.com &  www.boisestatebooks.com and many on-line book stores around the globe as well as local book stores in the Phoenix and Scottsdale, Arizona area.  My website is www.MyBadTequila.com  When visitors come to my website please share your thoughts or your personal take of “My Bad Tequila,” click onto tab “Libra de Amigos (Guests)” and sign the Guest Book. 

 

Gracias Amiga Fran!

 

Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts and your novel with me. Looking forward to reading more of your work. Fran

 

 

Extra bonus Information:

"My Bad Tequila" was just chosen last night as "Honorable Mention" award for the Wild Card Genre in the Hollywood Book Festival and I will be attending the awards banquet in Hollywood, CA at the Roosevelt Hotel on Friday evening 7/22/2011 & then participating the next day in the book festival. here is the website www.hollywoodbookfestival.comn in case You wanted to add something onto the 3rd day interview about this. If You have a question about it, email me and I'll send You a response this weekend. Gracias, rico http://site.mybadtequila.com/Guestbook.php

CONGRATS TO OUR TALENTED AUTHOR: FRAN

[Mari Sloan]

You had my attention when you mention winning the award at the Hollywood Book Festival. I've sold books at that festival in the Sisters in Crime Booth, and it can be an active festival--not to mention it has the best food booths of any of the LA Festivals. LOL. Congratulations!!!!

This sounds like an interesting and valuable read.