We reached out to Aurelio Rico Lopez III, an author of the horror genre, born and raised in the Philippines.  He has written over 20 books of fiction and poetry which have been published in the US, Australia, and the UK.

To get to know Gully Books’ Author in Spotlight and his works, we asked Aurelio a few questions.

 

What is the title of your latest book and what is it about?

My latest poetry collection is called Two Drinks Away From Chaos, published by Nihilism Revised. It’s a compilation of dark poetry I’ve written.

As for fiction, my latest book, published by Stitched Smile Publications in 2018, is Not the Forgiving Kind. It’s a story of a modern day “mangkukulam” who investigates a murder. Suddenly, he finds himself caught in the middle of an age-old war among strange, hellish creatures.

 

Can you tell us something about your books’ genre? Why did you choose this particular genre?

My books would most probably fall under the horror category. I don’t think I chose the genre; I believe I was drawn to it.

When I was a young boy, my friends and I would go on camping trips and scare each other with ghost stories. Maybe that part of me is still sitting there next to the campfire, clutching his flashlight in his small hands, eagerly waiting to hear or tell the next tale.

 

Where are your books available?

My books are available online at Amazon.com and Bookdepository.com. If you are ever in Iloilo City, you may also purchase copies at The Locals Merch Shop.

 

What age group are your books popular with?

I don’t really buy into the “you-have-to-be-a-certain-age-to-enjoy-this-book” idea, but since some of my books contain language and situations that may not be suitable for younger readers, I’d say mid-teens and older.

 

Among your works, which do you think is your favorite or one you consider your best work?

It’s always hard to pick a favorite because when you’re a writer, every book you write is a part of you. But if I had to pick just one, I’d probably choose Food for the Crows, a zombie novella set in Iloilo City. It was the first book I wrote, so it has a special place in my heart.

 

 

Are there characters in your books that you based on real people?

Some of them are, definitely. Sometimes, I don’t even realize I’m doing it until I’m in the middle of the story. Then I find myself saying to myself, “Hey, this guy sounds awfully like so and so.”

I think to some extent, writers need to base characters on real people otherwise, they come off as two-dimensional.

 

Who are your favorite authors?

(laughs) That is a long list, my friend.

I am a big fan of Douglas Adams, Richard Matheson, Brian Keene, Derek Landy, Neil Gaiman, F Paul Wilson, Jeff Strand, Richard Laymon, and Joe Lansdale. Seriously, if you enjoy a good read, do yourself a favor and pick up a book from any one of these authors.

 

What is your favorite horror book?

Every time someone asks me what my favorite book is, I have a different answer. Today, I’m going to go with Richard Matheson’s I Am Legend. It’s a classic must-read. And, no, the Will Smith movie is not better than the book. If you thought it was, you are entitled to your opinion, but you’d still be wrong.

 

Is it possible that all your characters/stories from your books exist in one collective world?

If it were, that would be one scary world, filled with zombies, werewolves, vampires, giant centipedes, demons, “tikbalangs“, and “manananggals“. Certainly, not a vacation destination for the holidays.

 

Have you written/published anything else besides one of the horror genre?

I had the privilege to work with the very talented Eric S. Brown on a kaiju novella called Night of the Kaiju. It was published for a time by Severed Press, a publishing house based in Australia.
I also wrote another kaiju novelette entitle “Kaiju Double Barrel” which is set to be reprinted by Wild Hunt Press soon.

 

How did it feel when you finally had your first book published? Is it the same feeling even with your succeeding books?

When Food for the Crows was accepted for publication in 2013 by a publisher in the UK, I couldn’t stop smiling for a week. The story had been rejected by many publishers before this one finally said, “Ok, Mr. Lopez, we’ll take it.”

After Food for the Crows, things were different. I was no longer an unpublished author, so publishers were more willing to work with me. I was extremely happy when my next two books, Cry Wolf and No Grave Too Deep were also accepted, but getting my first book published certainly helped pave the way for that to happen.

 

Will you be focusing on writing horror books? Do you have any plans in deviating to another genre in the future?

Right now, I enjoy writing horror poetry and dark fiction, but I also want to try something new. Perhaps something Young Adult.

 

What advice can you give to aspiring writers?

Love what you do, and don’t stop.

 

You may follow Aurelio on Facebook and Instagram @thirdylopez2001  because he likes to pretend he’s hip.