Dragon Soul Press took the opportunity to interview Luis Manuel Torres, an author featured in the Fairy Rites anthology.

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1. Introduce yourself.
   • My name is Luis Manuel Torres and I was born in Puerto Rico. I’ve always had an active imagination. I’ve been transferring that imagination to pen and paper ever since I was in middle school. I mostly write fantasy and sci-fi. 
2. What prompted you to begin writing?
   • School. Specifically English class lol. Writing is something I’ve always enjoyed. In this time of my life, it’s very therapeutic. 
3. Do you have a favorite story or poem you’ve written? What’s it about?
   • I have a lot of favorites, but one story that means a lot to me is From Gods to Angels. It was the first story I ever got published. It’s about the Greek Gods being forced to turn into guardian angels due to humanity no longer worshiping them. The story can be found in my anthology book Searching For A Home. I’ve expanded this story into a series called Gods or Angels and involved Norse and Egyptian mythology into it. I’m currently working on turning the series into a comic book.
4. How many projects do you have planned over the next few years? Tell us about one.
   • Oh so many projects. Like most writers, I suffer from working on one project then a new one tries to take over. 
     
     But one major project I’ve been working on for a long time is my Midnight Animals series. The series is about a group of mercenaries who were inspired by tales of Robin Hood and decide to help people. It has a steampunk aesthetic to it. 
     
     The plan for the Midnight Animals is a ten book series; 5 short story collections and 5 novels. At this moment I’ve written 2 short story collections and 1 novel. Currently writing the second novel and in the process of publishing the first novel. The first Midnight Animals short story collection is available now on Amazon. 
5. What is your writing process like?
   • My writing process starts with an idea. Depending on the idea, I’ll sit with it for a couple of weeks or sometimes months. Once I’m sure I’m going to write that story, I’ll write a one paragraph summary and then a character list. From there I would pick a music list to listen to and use an hour of the day to just write. 
6. Where do you draw inspiration from?
   • I draw inspiration from everywhere. Movies, TV shows, books, life experiences and even music videos. I’ve even gotten a story idea from a funny meme I’d seen once. 
     
     For my Angel of Death story in the Fairy Rites anthology, I got the idea from a dream I had. 
7. Who is your favorite author / what is your favorite book?
   • Like many people my age, one of my favorite authors is Akira Toriyama, who sadly passed away earlier this year. He wrote the Dragon Ball series which inspired many people of my generation and more. He inspired people to become writers, artists, bodybuilders and martial artists. I was grateful to have grown up watching and reading Akira Toriyama’s Dragon Ball. 
8. What is one goal you have for your writing future?
   • A goal I’ve always had for my writing was to have published a short story, a novel, a poem, a comic book, a movie, a TV show, and a play. So far I’ve accomplished three of those goals. Four to go.
9. What do you hope readers enjoy most from your work?
   • I hope I can provide my readers with a moment of entertainment. To distract people from their problems even for a small moment. I hope that they enjoy the story they read and maybe look for more of my work. I’ve created lots of worlds that I hope readers can get lost in. 
10. Where can readers learn more about you?
    • Email: Luismanuel11@aol.com 
      Facebook: Luis Manuel Torres
      Twitter/X: Luis1989Manuel
      
      You can read some of my stories for free on Wattpad: @lobo1989