Chicago author Eugene H. Nelson’s “Son of Xavier” is a book that follows a married woman Juanita Wade, who discovers that she is carrying a child of a younger man that she was having an affair. Juanita’s husband, Monty, is currently serving active duty in the Marine Corps during these events. A very petrified Juanita seeks help from her best friend, Carmen, who is engaged to marry Jackson, Monty’s best friend. Jackson opposes Carmen helping Juanita because he feels like Juanita is pulling his future wife into a storm that she created. Tension flares even more when Juanita learns that Monty is dishonorably discharged from the Marine Corps. Monty’s sudden arrival prompts Juanita to create a scandal by making Monty believe that the unborn child is his. These events are generated by an attractive young man named Xavier Lathem, who causes hidden secrets to be revealed, as well as a tragedy. People are involuntarily connected to him in this crafted tale.
To date, Nelson has self-published three books: “The Arrival of Alouise Brown” (2008), “The Featured Guest” (2013), and “Son of Xavier,” (2017). He is working on a sequel to “Son of Xavier,” which will be released in fall 2023. PrideIndex conversed with Nelson regarding his book’s inspiration, his writing influences, and what’s next.
PrideIndex (PI): Why did you become an author?
Eugene Nelson (EN): I became an author because I had a lot of stories to tell based on my personal experiences. It started when I was in grammar school and then later in high school. I was always attracted to writing and being creative.
PI: Do you have any formalized training as a writer?
EN: No, I don’t have any credentials for writing it. Writing started out as a hobby.
PI: Tell me about “Son of Xavier.” Where did you find the inspiration for it?
EN: I will be frank. I’m telling the story about myself. I changed it into a straight account. “Son of Xavier,” tells the story of Juanita, a young married woman whose husband is in the Marines. Juanita falls in love with a young boy named Xavier. I won’t give away too much of the story. There’s much to say about open relationships and other twists and turns.
PI: Name three writing influences.
EN: E. Lynn Harris because I enjoyed reading his work from front to back of the book. And then there is the author by the name of Sandra Brown. She’s an excellent crime novelist. Thirdly if I’m not mistaken, Louis Gossett, Jr author of “An Actor and a Gentleman.” I’ve always liked this Academy Award-winning actor because he is my ideal role model.
PI: Since “Son of Xavier” is a “straight version of something that happened to you,” have you ever been in a relationship with an older man?
EN: Yes. I ended it when the vibe of the relationship changed. I saw where it was headed was not going to end well. He was more interested in controlling me than loving me. I had to leave him alone. He used to leave me disturbing messages, but luckily, the guy moved on.
PI: The reasons why someone would be interested in an older mate vary by person and situation. A friend once told me he was attracted to older men because guys his age did not understand him, could not teach him anything, and could not go anywhere. What do you have to say about that?
EN: That’s all true. And guys my age certainly did not understand me. I can understand exactly why someone would be interested in an older mate.
PI: “Son of Xavier” was published in April 2017, but the sequel is set to come out in the fall of 2023. Why is there such a long gap between the first and second books?
EN: When I format my stories, I like to take my time to develop my new characters and storylines. I take a little time because I’ve found that when I slow down, I get better results. So I’m always leaning towards focusing on everything and being more thorough and intentional. At first, I thought I was done with just one book, but I decided to go ahead and write a sequel.
PI: What takeaway do you want readers to retain from this book?
EN: Be careful who you get involved with, and be observant in case another person plans to harm or deceive you.
PI: What’s next for you?
EN: Well, I am truly honored to, first of all, for this interview. I’m happy I decided to pursue becoming an author. When I look at the stories I have written, I’m encouraged. There is so much more to come from me. I’m doing other creative things I want to do, so there’s no telling what else will happen.
