PHOTO: C.R. Fabis, multi-talented author and storyteller, photographed in his Littleton, Colorado home where culinary artistry meets literary imagination.
Blending Fact, Fiction, and Imagination
Award-winning author C.R. Fabis discusses his dynamic journey from dessert chef to novelist, shares insights into his creative process, and explores the themes and characters that define his extraordinary work.
C .R. Fabis emerges as a singular talent in the literary world, defying convention and showcasing a remarkable capacity to craft stories that captivate, challenge, and inspire. Known to many as an accomplished dessert chef whose creations once delighted palates across the United States, Fabis transitioned into the world of storytelling with the same ingenuity and passion he brought to the culinary arts. His debut novel, Rome Never Fell, a bold fusion of historical fiction and science fiction, marked his arrival as a novelist of extraordinary vision and depth. With his follow-up, The Angel and the Amazing Life of Maggie Love, he demonstrated yet again his ability to weave compelling narratives that grapple with complex themes, leaving readers enthralled and contemplative in equal measure.
An undeniable polymath, C.R. Fabis also delights audiences as a cartoonist on Instagram, where his visual work brims with humour and creativity. Yet it is in his prose that he finds his full range of expression, crafting intricate characters and plots with spontaneity and authenticity. Whether imagining time travel to ancient Rome or exploring the moral ambiguities of revenge through the enigmatic Maggie Love, Fabis’s work speaks to a unique mind unafraid to traverse the boundaries of genre and artistry.
It is a rare privilege to spotlight a voice as dynamic as C.R. Fabis in this issue of Reader’s House. In this exclusive interview, we delve into his transition from the culinary world to literature, the inspirations behind his unforgettable characters, and his advice for aspiring authors. Join us as we uncover the creative journey of an author who dares to blend the extraordinary with the everyday, proving that storytelling, like dessert, is truly an art.
C.R. Fabis masterfully combines vivid imagination, nuanced characters, and genre-defying narratives, proving himself to be a storytelling virtuoso.
What inspired you to transition from a successful career as a dessert chef to writing novels?
I worked for a big dessert company for 25 years. When the company sold, it was time for retirement. I worked out a good deal with this company, so I am financially sound. I have always had stories in my head. You might say that each dessert I created had its own story. When my children were young, I made up bedtime stories for them. A few years later I wrote those down as a novel. Now, I knew I could do it, so the transition to writing was quite easy.
“The dark personalities can be the most interesting, and the most fun to write about.” – C.R. Fabis
How do your experiences in the culinary world influence the themes or characters in your books?
Most of the chefs I have known over the years have strange and quirky personalities. Some were warm and helpful, and some could be mean and self-centered. I have been able to use pieces of these personalities in many of the characters I have created in my books. I have found that the dark personalities can be the most interesting, and the most fun to write about.
In “Rome Never Fell,” you blend historical fiction with science fiction. What challenges did you face in merging these genres?
Since time travel is the science fiction, and going back to a historic time was the historical fiction, the merging of the genres worked well. The challenge I had was the research needed. I wanted my interpretation of Julius Caesar, Mark Antony, Cleopatra, and others to be as accurate and real as possible. I needed to know exactly how these events of their time happened. So, my study of this amazing time in human history made the story real and even plausible.
“The story has to be visual in the author’s head. This makes it real to me and my readers.” – C.R. Fabis
“The Angel and the Amazing Life of Maggie Love” delves into complex moral questions. What motivated you to explore such themes?
It is extremely hard to justify murder, even in literature. But it is much easier for the reader to accept it if there is a revenge factor involved. You see this in the cinema all the time. That is where my motivation came from. Maggie was dealt a bad deck as a child. She is beautiful, brilliant, and well-motivated to get revenge on those who wronged her. An Angel, along with the reader, has to decide if revenge is enough justification to save her soul.
As a cartoonist with a substantial following on Instagram, how does your visual art background inform your storytelling?
First of all, the cartoons are stories. Before I can make a cartoon, there has to be a story, and it has to be visual in my head. I cannot emphasize this enough. Whether it is a novel, a cartoon or any other creative endeavor, the story has to be visual in the author’s head. This makes it real to me and I always hope it makes it real to my readers. My Instagram following likes my cartoons because they make them laugh. This makes me happy, but the best part of making them is that they make me laugh.
Could you share insights into your writing process, particularly how you develop your characters and plotlines?
When I sit down to start a novel, I have to have a basic idea of who the characters are and where the story is going. It is especially important that I have a slightly vague idea of how it is going to end. To me, the writing process is very spontaneous. I do not make any outlines of what the book is supposed to be. Plot twists and surprises come to me while I am writing. Sometimes when I go to sleep, I might get an idea. I might be out for a walk and something happens. In other words, I become completely ingulfed in the story I’m writing. It is a 24/7 process, where a little bit of magic can happen at any time.
What advice would you offer to aspiring authors looking to blend elements from different creative fields into their writing?
If an inspiring author has experience in other creative fields, odds are they have already created something different. Most of my successful desserts were quite different for their time. Do not try to be like Hemingway, or Rowling. Do not read a mystery novel and then try to write like that author. Try to capture whatever creative spark you had in your field. Use this spark in your writing to create something different. Use it in your plot development, and your characters. Make your story as real as possible in your own head. That way it will be very real to your readers.
In your book, “The Angel and the Amazing Life of Maggie Love”, what do you think makes Maggie Love such a compelling character?
In chapter 3, Maggie’s parents were forced into murder suicide by some evil people. This gives her a kind of vague justification for all the murders she is going to commit. She develops a sense of humor. She uses her intelligence and beauty to help her get things done. She is very self-determined. She can change her appearance constantly using wigs, different colored contact lenses, different voices, and fashion and thus, she has 12 aliases.
Most people would agree that a woman who has committed 20 murders would be a compelling character.
