Freddy Cruz Interview - They Canceled the DJ ~ JeanBookNerd

Photo Content from Freddy Cruz

Freddy Cruz is the long-time radio personality of the daytime show on the world famous KRBE in Houston, TX. He is also an author, philanthropist, lover of new music and old books, and the host of the Book This with Freddy Cruz podcast. Fueled by coffee, laughter, a shared delight in his community, and love for his family, Freddy often marvels at his luck in being able to spend his days filling the buckets of all the things he values most in life.

Greatest thing you learned at school.
“It’s the little things that win championships.” —Coach Brewer.

When/how did you realize you had a creative dream or calling to fulfill?
I can always tell that I’m living my purpose by the large amounts of time that seem to fly by when writing or producing. And the hours seem like minutes. I get lost (in a good way) in the craft.

Beyond your own work (of course), what is your all-time favorite book and why?
Can’t Hurt Me by retired Navy SEAL David Goggins should be required reading for high school students. But it’s great for anyone in a rut because it teaches you grit and embracing pain and suffering.

And what is your favorite book outside of your genre? Blame it on the Cold War, but I’ve always been and always will be obsessed with Russia. Particularly authors whose work faced (and in death, continue to face) harsh criticism. Among these is Ayn Rand. We the Living is so beautifully written and perfectly plotted.

TEN RANDOM FACTS ABOUT THEY CANCELED THE DJ

1.) The original title was She Left Me for a Jerk with a Ukulele, but I polled my friends and They Canceled the DJ won.
2.) Maria, AC’s mom, is named after one of my coworkers, who won a character name in the book as a prize at our 2019 company Christmas party.
3.) I wrote ten pages in the dark, with nothing but a flashlight, during the winter storm of 2021.
4.) Ever since my favorite fiction author Chuck Palahniuk said he writes longhand, I started writing longhand.
5.) I manifested my “pie in the sky” dream for my writing in the final chapter of the book.
6.) Lecnac Grove is a fictional town. “Lecnac” being “cancel” spelled backward.
7.) The RDS scene is inspired by actual events and the party involved shall remain nameless
8.) Bobbi’s apartment is inspired by a HuffPo story about a Hello Kitty fan’s home.
9.) Since I’ve been asked, Lilian is NOT inspired by anyone I know.
10.) Nexus Lounge is modeled after Studio 104, all the way down to the busted sewage pipe—yuck.

Tell us your most rewarding experience since being published.
Being told my work is like “1984 on steroids,” and being compared to the Gulag Archipelago.

If you could have written one book in history, what book would that be?

Fight Club.

What was the single worst distraction that kept you from writing this book?

Twitter.

Can you tell us when you started THEY CANCELED THE DJ, how that came about?

September of 2019. I was in a dark place, having allowed a negative review of my first novel get to me. After a weekend of sulking and wallowing in my own misery, I watched my favorite movie “Chef” and read an interview with Jon Favreau in the Tim Ferris book Tools of Titans. It lit me up and I started writing. The manuscript was finished by the end of the year and the original plan was to release in 2020. But then COVID happened. So instead of a book release, I used lockdown to write another manuscript, which may or may not ever see the light of day.

Your Favorite Quotes/Scenes from THEY CANCELED THE DJ
FIRST PASSAGE

Books don't consume my life. Not completely, anyway. But I love books. And I agree with Bobbi: the book will always be better than the movie. Especially if we're talking about Fight Club and The Hunger Games. No amount of Brad Pitt and Jennifer Lawrence could ever change that. And until now, my discriminating taste has all but banished the world of fan fiction.

SECOND PASSAGE

"What happened to your arm?" asks Bobbi, nodding her head toward the inside of his forearm. I wanna squeeze it so hard, a river of River's blood trickles down his arm and onto the floor.
"New tat," River replies, holding it up. He peels the tape-covered gauze back, revealing the words "Amor fati."
Love of fate. Nietzsche. My dad loves him and that quote.
"Love of fate, as in...?" says Bobbi.
River pats the couch, welcoming Bobbi to sit next to him. He doesn't acknowledge me, the one assigned to interview him.
"As in embracing everything that happens in your life," he says. "Good, bad, or indifferent. And seeing it for all its beauty."
As in not avoiding the inevitable, but embracing it. Even when that inevitability takes the form of a musician with no respect for boundaries with a woman he just met. In front of her boyfriend.

What is the first job you have had?

McDonald’s.

Best date you've ever had?

My first date with the lady who I’d eventually end up marrying. Dinner at Cafe Papadeaux.

What is the first thing you think of when you wake up in the morning?

If it’s not gratitude, it’s my dog Sparrow, who’s head is usually resting on my leg.

What is your most memorable travel experience?

Nearly crashing into some mountains while flying to Mexico.

Have you ever stood up for someone you hardly knew?

You could say that I do this every time I host someone from an animal shelter or foster group.

Which would you choose, true love with a guarantee of a heart break or have never loved before? Definitely true love.

When you looked in the mirror first thing this morning, what was the first thing you thought?

How am I gonna last an entire day when I woke up at 3 in the morning?

What do you usually think about right before falling asleep?

I try to think about nothing, so it’ll be easier for me to fall asleep.

If you could be born into history as any famous person who would it be and why?

Vanderbilt or Carnegie. Or anyone of the businessmen from America’s Reconstruction Era. Not for the money, but for the influence and the legacy.

What event in your life would make a good movie?

My interviews would make an interesting documentary. I’ve interviewed the likes of NFL superstar Deandre Hopkins, rapper/actor Ludacris, Navy SEALs like Jack Carr and Rich Diviney, and literary legends like David Baldacci and Brad Thor.

What is one unique thing are you afraid of?

I don’t fear death. I fear having large amounts of unfinished business when I die. That…is TERRIFYING. But as the stoics say, “memento mori.”

When a hotheaded DJ is caught in a viral web of vengeance, it’s unlikely he’ll find the wisdom to quiet his inner critic. Radio jock Aubrey Cortes cares way too much about what others think. After he humiliates himself in front of a listener-turned-love interest, he’s horrified when the explosive episode goes viral. But, after the disaster turns into a first date, he celebrates with a barrage of search-and-destroy tweets aimed at torpedoing his online critics. Thrilled when his newfound viral fame lands him a nationally syndicated show, he uses his connections to arrange a backstage pass to meet his new squeeze’s legendary musical idol. Cue mayhem. Aubrey’s heart is cruelly betrayed on centerstage, and blows up big time. Again. And now he wants payback. Can Aubrey eat humble pie and take a Zen lesson or three, or will he go down in a fiery fit of revenge? A riotous romp, They Canceled the DJ is an outrageous standalone dark comedy caper packed with over-the-top antics, satirical commentary, and humorous twists

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