An Interview with Ruben Najera
Ruben J. Najera crafts narratives that exist within the intersection of memory and mythology.
Ruben was born in Sunnyside, Washington, while the streets of Sacramento shaped him before he moved to Salt Lake City, where he draws from his lifelong creative journey. His storytelling extends through multiple disciplines as he performs as an actor and musician while writing songs and scripts and finally turning his passion for narrative into published works.
Ruben uses his two decades of customer service leadership experience to discover the human element within spontaneous interactions, which now permeate his fictional writing. He has been a writer, scriptwriter, musician, songwriter, and an actor as well, and using these experiences to create and express stories that he has never read.
What inspired you to start writing this book?
I once heard of the legend of Kukulkan and that led to a dream I had one night about what would happen if he returned. When I woke up, I shared the idea with my wife, and she said I should write it.
Tell us the story of your book’s current title. Was it easy to find, or did it take forever?
It came pretty easily; I just thought about the story and how this part of it would be best described.
If your book had a soundtrack, what are some songs that would be on it?
“Tom Sawyer” by Rush. “Back In Black” by AC/DC. “Lady” by Styx. “Wayward Son” by Kansas. Just to name a few.
What books are you reading (for research or comfort) as you continue the writing process?
A few by Stephen King—The Stand, IT, and Thinner—as well as The Ninja Series by Eric Van Lusterbader, The Lord of the Rings, and the Harry Potter series. I also recently completed The Hobbit, just for fun.
What other professions have you worked in? What’s something about you that your readers wouldn’t know?
I was once a local actor when I lived in Sacramento. I was a musician, singer, and songwriter there as well. But, mostly to pay the bills, I was in Customer Service for many industries such as Banking, Mortgage Services, Health Insurance, and most recently Public Utilities.
Who/what made you want to write? Was there a particular person, or particular writers/works/art forms that influenced you?
I wrote because this story sort of made me want to read it, to make it real, to tell it, as I didn’t see anything written or hear of anything written about this subject. And most of what is written about it is treated as legend. I don’t claim to know what really happened with the Mayan culture, I just know that it seemed more real to me the more I wrote this story.
Where is your favorite place to write?
At home. In my living room, with my family around me.
What advice would you give your past self at the start of your writing journey?
Much of what I continued to tell myself for the over ten years that I spent writing this story, which now spans over seven books—to keep going, do what you can when you can, and when it’s over, it will be worth it.
What’s one thing you hope sticks with readers after they finish your book?
That it’s unique, fun, and interesting.
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