Alex: Book signings are touchy set-ups down here in Florida. Dave Barry did a book signing at a Books-a-Million in Orlando and he only sold three books. People simply don't read down here. I've had five book signings in Florida and four of them were flops. My best showing was at a Borders where I sold five copies of Virgin Gloves. The audience for readers is very weak down here. Up north however, it's a totally different story. I did one in Massachusetts where thirty people showed up. All ages took interest as well as the local media. That worked out well.
Bill: Can you give me some background on your book Backyard Empire?
Alex: The Extreme Backyard Association was a small group of friends who used to watch wrestling on TV and practice the moves in a dirt ring held together by clotheslines. I joined the group as a referee and learned how they were doing the moves. Soon enough I became a wrestler. The man who lead the group was Jason Sanders, a very charismatic guy who could hold a crowd in the palm of his hand. Jason was the enthusiastic centerpiece of a growing weekly show that eventually made it into the newspapers and on television. In the end, five of these backyard wrestlers graduated from the backyard and became professional wrestlers themselves.
Alex: I was an amateur boxer trained by David Gomes, a man who worked with Peter McNeely and John Ruiz. I had about ten fights in Mass at 130pds when I was 19 years old. Years later, I took a renewed interest in it, trained myself, and fought at a few nightclubs at about 150pds. My record ended at 11 wins, 1 loss, 1 draw, and 3 knockouts. My original trainer David Gomes was very disappointed in me because he believed I could have had a good pro career.
Bill: You are a good writer. Did you study writing in high school or college?
Alex: I studied English in college but I never had any formal training as a writer. I'm a natural storyteller. It started from my tendency to lie as a kid. If someone asked me a question and I didn't know the answer, I'd make something up. Evetually these white lies became long intricate stories that captivated my listeners. This unusual talent translated very well into creative writing as the years progressed.
Bill: What other types of martial arts have you studies?
Alex: I started studying Isshinryu karate at the age of thirteen. I reached green belt before my teacher moved on. Over the years I studied Goju-ryu karate, Chung Moo do, Tae kwon do, Wing Chun, Tai Chi, sword play, jiu jitsu and Wei tai jitsu. I used my encyclopedic knowledge of the martial arts to write, direct and star in two low budget Martial arts films, the most notable All American Kumite is available in clips on You Tube.