Hi, I’m Xavier!
I’m an author based out of Canberra, Australia.
I have published a few action packed spy novels,
with several more in the pipeline - including new
exploits with Agent Max Shaw!
I’ve got a background in communications and a
passion for story telling.
Thanks for visiting - please get in touch!
XW
A bit about me…
I’m a country boy. I grew up in north west New South Wales, Australia.
I went to a local public primary school and the public high school.
I ventured to the coast for uni in Newcastle where I studied business.
I’ve had a bunch of different jobs over the years - barista, paperboy, video store assistant, bar and cafe manager, public servant, political staffer, lobbyist and CEO.
While I’ve always enjoyed reading a good book, I never imagined writing a novel and now I’ve finished six - five of which have been published.
I read five novels over a three week period on Christmas holidays a few years ago and my Dad said to me ‘why don’t you write one instead of just reading them?’
By the time I flew back to Canberra from Brisbane I had a rough outline of Shaw Vengeance in the notes on my phone and spent the rest of the evening with a bottle of red wine and my laptop penning the first chapters.
My hobbies include: all things food, wine, coffee; beers and brunches with mates; reading thrillers and action novels; watching action movies; exploring ancient history and mythology, in particular Greece and Rome; traveling and dreaming of chasing an endless summer; relearning the piano; getting back into the gym, pool and strongman training; and spending as much time with my family and friends, and at the beach, as possible.
I live in Canberra with my partner, Ryan, who works in the public service and with my two year old Groodle, Atlas!
What drives me?
If I had to name a single source of motivation it would be my family and friends. My parents and grandparents have always provided me with the encouragement and support I needed to succeed and chase my dreams. My sister, brother-in-law and nieces are always there to chat, share music and movie reviews, and recipes, and just for a laugh. My aunts, uncles and cousins, who are more like parents and siblings to me, and who I still holiday with every year, are always there for me too.
My wonderful friends, including Ms Nik, who is a constant source of love, inspiration and joy, and who I miss so much as she follows her dreams in America, plus my uni and Canberra Crews! And, of course, my partner, Ryan, who has been so loving and understanding - thanks for putting up with me!
I cannot thank you all enough for everything you have done and continue to do to support, motivate and drive me - I love you all!!
When it comes to writing, I just want to tell a good story - full of action, humor and drama!
Whether it was a speech about my family full of wild exaggerations as a Year 5 student at primary school; writing a keynote address for senior Ministers in Canberra; or now creating fiction through the Max Shaw series - I love words, writing and communicating!
This is a view which I’m sure is shared by my mates and family who know I love a good debate over a flat white or a stubbie.
My novels to date are action packed, fast rides from cover to cover. They can be enjoyed for that simple thrill and anyone who likes the Bourne, Reacher, Bauer, Scofield, Bond-esque novels I hope will find enjoyment in them!
But also, growing up as a closeted gay kid I yearned for a gay batman, a bi John McClane or a pan James Bond to show I was ‘normal’ and ‘okay’.
When I started exploring gay fiction I saw a literary world focused on AIDS, sleeping around and drug use as recurring themes, which I didn’t relate to.
Max Shaw is the character I was hoping for - a gay Aussie in a blokey profession normally reserved for straight guys. He’s tough as nails, while still being capable of deep and enduring love showing LGBTQIA+ people don’t fit any stereotypes!
Acceptance will truly come when we don’t have to talk about sexuality and we’re all ‘normal’, so while Max is gay it’s deliberately a secondary, not a major, theme of the novels.