Stories have a way of asking us questions long after we’ve turned the final page. For Italian fantasy author Francesco Riccardi, that experience is always top of mind while he’s writing. His debut novel, AENOR — Book I: The Promise, marks the beginning of an adventure-fantasy saga that he hopes will encourage readers to grapple with big questions. With a love of adventure, mystery, and character-driven storytelling, Francesco is interested not simply in the worlds his characters inhabit, but in the people they become when those worlds challenge everything they believe. I recently had the pleasure of discussing his journey as an author, the inspirations behind AENOR, and his hopes for the readers who will join him at the beginning of this much larger story.
Nikki: Thanks so much for taking the time to chat with me, Francesco! I’m so excited to get to know your journey as an author. Tell me… What got you started?
Francesco: I’ve always wanted to create worlds and stories of my own. I love reading and watching stories created by other people, but I reached a point where I wanted to stop wondering how I would have made things unfold and actually build a story where those choices were mine. So I decided to focus seriously on creating my own world, with complete freedom over every character, place, and plot twist. That desire to shape every part of a story myself is what really pushed me to become a writer.
That’s beautiful. And you’ve just published your first novel, correct? Tell me about that.
I’ve written AENOR — Book I: The Promise, my first complete novel and the opening of a larger saga. The story follows Kael, whose brother is mysteriously kidnapped right in front of him. He sets out on a journey to find him, but along the way he begins to realize that nothing may be quite as he believed — not the world around him, and perhaps not even himself.
Oh, now this sounds intriguing. What genre would you say AENOR is?
I don’t really like to label my writing as just one genre. I like to think of my style as a mix of different influences; I love the settings and worldbuilding of fantasy, the suspense and tension of thrillers, and the action and fight scenes I grew up loving in manga.
Those are also the genres I tend to read the most, usually mixed with some psychological classics and books that focus more on inner journeys, identity, and personal transformation.
I love that you called out that the media you grew up loving has shaped you as an author — I think we all too often forget how much the things we loved as a kid really impact us. Growing up, did you always know you’d be an author?
Actually, when I was a kid, I imagined myself becoming a footballer, an astronaut, or even a geographer traveling around the world. I’ve always been a huge One Piece fan, so the idea of exploring new places and discovering new worlds has fascinated me for as long as I can remember.
That’s incredible. Whenever I think of discovering new world, I think of vast sci-fi ecosystems like the ones in Star Wars, which lately draws to mind visions of blue milk. What kind gets your creative juices flowing? Oat, coconut, legit milk-milk?
I don’t usually drink much milk, but whenever I’m traveling around the world — something I like to do from time to time to find new inspiration — I always order a cappuccino with oat milk at Starbucks. So if I have to choose, oat milk wins.
See, this is why I ask such cutting-edge questions… There’s always a bigger story there! I love to travel myself. Have you ever visited any of the places where your stories are set?
Yes. Every place I include in my books is inspired by a place or city I’ve visited in person. Of course, I push those locations much further in the story, but I like the idea that a reader might still recognize the real city behind it even if it has a different name. In this first book, I drew inspiration from four places: Trana, my hometown, and Seville, Marseille, and Innsbruck, all cities I’ve visited over the last few years.
That’s incredible. I’ve taken a few bookish pilgrimages myself over the years. During your travels, do you find that there’s an unusual place you like to write?
My favorite place to write is probably at the airport or on a plane. I often have long stretches of time when my phone has little or no signal, so I can focus entirely on writing, sketching out ideas, and developing scenes without distractions. My second favorite place would be by the sea, either on the beach or sitting on the rocks.
Writing by the sea is lovely. I live in the Great Lakes region of the United States, so I like to write on the Lake Erie beaches, which is sort of like a sea in its own right. I have to ask, as you’re sitting there in the sunshine and jotting down your best ideas… Do you find that you like your characters?
Absolutely. Every one of my characters carries a part of me, from the first to the last. That’s also why, in my stories, the protagonist isn’t simply the strongest person or the chosen one. He’s someone who struggles with himself, trying to understand who he really is, and who goes through an inner journey just like all of us do in different ways. The same applies to my villains: they aren’t evil just because the story needs a villain. I want them to put the reader in that uncomfortable position of asking, ‘If I had been in their place, what would I have done?’
I love that perspective. And you self-published your debut, is that correct?
Yes. For now, I’m self-published, and I’m happy with that. I really value having full creative and editorial freedom when I write, without feeling influenced by outside expectations. I’ve always loved both reading and writing. Years ago, almost as a game, I started jotting down notes about places I saw and imagining the stories that could happen there. Little by little, those notes grew into ideas, characters, and eventually something much bigger. My writing journey developed very naturally from there.
I think so many of us can relate to that… It starts small and grows into something bigger. What’s next for you, Francesco?
I’m currently working on the second volume of the AENOR saga, which I’m planning to release in spring of 2027. I already have the notes and the full timeline mapped out all the way to the end of the story. The hardest part now is fitting everything together without losing anything important, because there are many secrets whose eventual reveals I already know. The challenge is making sure I plant the right clues along the way, so that when those revelations finally arrive, they feel earned rather than sudden.
Spring will be here before we know it! That’s so exciting. I have to ask, because as an author, I know there’s never just one work in progress. How many manuscripts do you have floating around?
Honestly, at least fifteen. I used to start a story, get to a certain point, then read it back and realize that something simply wasn’t working. Instead of throwing everything away, I kept the strongest ideas, scenes, or concepts from each attempt and gradually learned how to bring the best parts together into a more complete story. I became especially focused on avoiding plot holes and on making sure that every character actually strengthens the story rather than weakening it.
Honestly, that’s the best way to work. My upcoming release is a book I started in 2010 and just kept placing on the back burner until I had a clear vision of what I wanted to do with all its themes. The muses will come when they come! So when you’re not writing, what do you do for fun?
I never really sit still in my free time. Whenever I can, I like to train, whether that means going to the gym or playing football with a team. And, as I mentioned, I love traveling. I often take quick weekend trips, even just for one or two days, around Europe. When I have more time, I try to go as far away as possible. Last year I spent two weeks traveling around California, and it was an incredible experience.
How fun! California is where I took one of my literary pilgrimages. Alright, I just have one more question for you before I let you get back to planning your next book and your next big adventure… How do you want your books to resonate with readers?
This is only the beginning of my journey as a writer, but it’s also only the beginning of the journey I want readers to experience. I’d love to build a relationship with readers where the story leaves them with questions — not only about the world of AENOR and its mysteries, but also about themselves. If a reader closes the book still thinking about a character’s choices, their own identity, or what they might have done in the same situation, then I feel the story has done something meaningful.
That’s incredible. Thanks so much for taking the time to share your story with us, Francesco! We look forward to getting our hands on AENOR and seeing what comes next.
Francesco Riccardi is just getting started, but AENOR already feels like the beginning of something big. If you’re a fan of adventure, mystery, and stories that leave you with something to chew on after the final page, AENOR — Book I: The Promise might be worth adding to your TBR. Be sure to check out Francesco’s work and follow along on Instagram as the saga continues.
Want to discover more indie authors across fantasy, horror, romance, sci-fi, and beyond? Keep an eye on my Indie Author Spotlight Series for more conversations with creative minds worth celebrating.