ChaleOnline: First off thank you for letting us doing this interview. First thing I want to know is more about you,where you grew up?
Jeff Rivera: I grew up and I was actually born in Utah, Salt lake city of all places and then we moved to Oregon and I lived there till I was about 16-17 yrs old I grew up in a small suburban place called Hillsboro. Where it was kinda cool because you have a suburban feel but at the same time I had alot of friends who you know... were in gangs and what not. I just didn't care because I always treated people like there were people It was a nice mix. I would think probably a good maybe 70 percent caucasian maybe 30 percent latinos and maybe 10 percent or less were African american or asian. So it was real cool mix. The first place we lived before we moved to Hillsboro was Beaverton, I have friends that were from isreal and india and el salvador. it was really kinda cool to grow up with like a melting pot. But I think that's why I get along with different types of people.
ChaleOnline: If there was one type of novel that you write that's like your flag ship novel which one would it be right now?
Jeff Rivera: It definitely would be forever my lady that is my first novel and that's the one that really opened alot of doors for me and you know I couldn't have done it without chaleonline so umm you know it opened alot of doors for me and there for I wanted to open up as many doors as I could for other authors as well.
ChaleOnline: Nice Nice did you wake up one day and say im just going to write books about cholos and hynas?
Jeff Rivera: Haha, No I mean like I said I grew up in a very mixed environment so umm basically what happened is I was homeless for sometime and the first job I got when we stopped being homeless was working at kmart and I hated that job but I met a friend of mine and that friend was actually chicano he came from a work release program and we became friends real fast he use to come in with his story my lady this my hyna that he would bring in poems and everything.SoI just thought to myself if I can create a story like that would really get to people like his story has that would be great.So I just started creating this story from scratch putting stuff that happened in my life my friends life my brothers life and what not and then I created this story forever my lady and that's how that began. And I definitely want to keep latino because I didn't see alot of books out there like that and I wanted my book to be different.And I felt like really bad because there was no books out there that latinos or chicanos can relate to so I really wanted to be the one that would do that at first I was concerned like oh my god are they going to except me here I am from my ethnic background but people didn't care a good story is a good story so I feel really good about that.
ChaleOnline: Thank you thank you everyone that I showed it to say its pretty good. When I started reading it I was like "Ese"? what the who wrote this book you know I never seen a book like that with the calo in it. You know calo based on growing up or did you have reference's?
Jeff Rivera: I was very fortunate because after I written the book I have alot of latino friends and they read through it and just gave me alot of tips like do this do that so that's why its pretty accurate. In terms of the way it comes across I want it to feel authentic as possible so even if you don't come from the background you can feel like you been sucked in to a world.
ChaleOnline: Right right. Based on the controversy of writing these types of books like you know the acceptance was it hard to get a publishing company? And what publishing company are you currently trying to work with?
Jeff Rivera: Well to write urban stuff there is always a flag because somehow your promoting violence and what not but that's people who in actuality never read the books you know allot of the books if you read them has alot deeper meaning then what you see on the surface and that's what I wanted to create. When I had forever my lady I mean I had a great opportunity at first. I was printing copys for myself and so it builds up the good following bit that I was able to attract the attention of warner books and they took the book on and from there. The book took off but there's this new company I created called urbano that's gonna be independently published. Its opening opportunities for chicano and latino authors to write urban fiction to finally hear there voice and to get there voice out there to the world.Thats why I created that company.
ChaleOnline: What's is most likely the hardest on writing these books and the easiest?
Jeff Rivera: The hardest part on writing these books is to create a universal story that anyone can relate to. And then have the window dressing or the costume of the urban fitting and at the same time have it feel really authentic like someone that comes from a certain background can say yeah that's me and this is what I been through. The easiest part is: since is there is so many urban books out there right now in the african american world that has opened up alot of doors and because if you are a latino author there is so little competition out there very little, so if your interested in doing that kind of writing you know there's doors and windows wide open for you.
ChaleOnline: Its kinda like chicano rap in a book.When your writing these novels do you ever think in the back of your mind that you can ever turn it in to a movie or a tv series?
Jeff Rivera: Yeah all the time "forever my lady" actually started out as a screen play. I wanted it to be a movie.Yeah I wrote the play and it kept getting rejected by different studios people saying you don't know what your doing go back to your day job. But I really believed and people were really responding to it so out of frustration that's why I turned it into a novel like I got to put this story out there and I didn't want anymore rejections so I initially published it. That's why I did things the way I did them.
ChaleOnline: That's cool man not giving up. Do you listen to chicano rap at all?
Jeff Rivera: Yeah I do especially umm there is a great group, I don't know if you heard of them there called "La pica" they came out of las vegas they eventually broke up that's was my inspiration when I was writing. That's what I would listen to. Music does something to me, it really puts me in that mood of wherever that artist is at that moment not only there emotional mood but there background. So if I was writing about something taking place in africa, I play african music or if was writing something taking place in the 18th century I would play that kind of music Just so I can get into that vibe. That's what I would do is listen to as much music as I could so I can feel. When your writing these characters its almost like your acting you got to get into there mind set and that's why I love listing to that type of music.
ChaleOnline: What's the best way a young person can get into the business your in?
Jeff Rivera: The best thing to do is really learn two things. One, finish writing. People have tons of ideas like oh you should write about my life story. I hear that every single day but the thing is you just have to finish it. And the second thing is to learn how to tell a story. Watching really great movies is a great way to do that, reading lots of books. Alot of people can write really well but they don't know how to write a story they don't know how to hook an audience they don't know how to keep the audience of the reader wanna to turn the pages they don't know how to make a emotional rollercoster where you just feel like crying one moment, laughing and pissed the other moment. You have to really know how to to be a good storyteller. There's lots of books out there, there's classes you can take but, I think the best thing is watch as many great movies as you can and bad movies to, and read as many books you can. Learn from those things and just write and keep writing. That's really what I would advise people to do.
ChaleOnline: That's good advise if you look at movies they kind of are books.
Jeff Rivera: I think you can learn alot by watching movies. I love to watch alot of steven spielberg. I think he is one of the best storytellers around. There's alot of people who are great at what they do.The director from "Under the same moon" I mean she's really really good, she's a good storyteller. She's also latina I don't know if she's from mexico or where she's from but if you seen that movie that's a good storyteller there. So watch as many good movies as you can and read as many good books you will know what's good and what's not.
ChaleOnline: What's your favorite movie?
Jeff Rivera: My favorite movie will have to be "the color purple" that's a steven spielberg movie and I just love the story it reminds me of some people in my life. I like other movies to, I like action movies and comedy movies like everybody else but I think that movie kinda has an emotional rollercoster and that's why I like to write. So that's why like it the most
ChaleOnline: Anything you want to say to your fans out there?
Jeff Rivera: Just thank you for supporting "forever my lady" and all these new books coming out because I think its opened alot of doors for people who want to tell there story. Especially latino authors. If you want to find out more about what we are doing go www.urbanobooks.com You can check that out and support what we are doing and support your favorite author out there.
ChaleOnline: What's next on the agenda?
Jeff Rivera: I'm putting forever my lady pt.2 out this july of this year I just need to do a little polishing to it and put it out in late july yeah that's gonna be great you know finally after years and years of waiting people will finally get to know what happened to Dio and Jennifer. And also the new urbano books if you like forever my lady or urban latino stuff, urban chicano stuff, you will love these books.
ChaleOnline: Yeah I was looking at one, one was a stripper?
Jeff Rivera: Yeah That ones called "I Got The Concha So I Make The Rules". The First three we have are "Pretty Brown" it's written by a artist by the name of Genaro. Then there is also another book called "Mr Clean In The Barrio" by the author David Bueno-Hill And there's a third book which is called "Hollyweed" and that's written by Jorge Corral he is also an attorney and an author as well Two of them are chicano and one of them is half columbian. So yeah there's also other authors that are breaking in im always welcome to hear from people who are interested in writing stories short books small books. If you are interested in getting a hold of me go to urbanobooks.com.
ChaleOnline: How would you say your life has changed since you started writing? You said you grew up pretty hard like most people now that your writing tell us how it is now?
Jeff Rivera: Its changed alot because im a full time author its all that I do. I have my own publishing company and not having to work for anybody else is definitely, yeah so that's great. I don't have to put up with people I don't want to work with. And also what's kind of life changing for me is the fact I get to express myself and say what I want to say. And its really cool because I do alot of visits to the schools to get people excited about reading and actually wanna read. It's really really inspiring. Its my favorite thing to do I do it for free I go up and talk to the kids its just cool to see them big fans of the books. So for that I think its life changing. And also be an example that it can be done and you can go for your dreams. I was talking to you before this interview about one of the comedians I interviewed and one of the things he said was you just have to hold your nose and jump when you have an opportunity and go for things even if there is a big risk even if you risk losing your house or whatever if that's where your heart is then just go for it. And I feel like that's what I done and it paid off. It's not easy you have to think... should I go for my dream ... or do I have to think about my family can... or should I do both its not a easy decision. At the end you got to do what makes you happy you have to take a risk. I didn't want to be one of those people 80 years old looking back I should have done this I wish I would have done that. I don't wanna be one of those people I see family members who say oh I wish I would have done this and that. It really frustrates me when people say they wanna do something and they don't do anything. They come up with a million excuses why they cant do it. I tell them you can do but they come up with an excuse and I say that don't matter because I know people who have done it and they come up with another excuse. Actions speaks louder then words if someone really wants to do something there not going to come up with excuses they are just going to do it. I try to lead by example, I am very aware of what I say I think its important to just do it. Like the old nike ad Just Do It.
