Fiction
Date Published: 06-07-2022
Publisher: Atmosphere Press
If Gail knew Uncle Perkins' stories were true, she wouldn't have taken her
friends up that mountain.
The plan was simple. Hike, camp, and ride the zipline back down the
mountain. But Uncle Perkins' stories are true, and the horrors are real. Now
the simple plan is the only plan they have to get off that mountain or
disappear, remaining there forever.
Zipline is an immediately gripping, fast-paced, unique story that will keep
you entertained until the last sentence.
INTERVIEW
What is the hardest part of writing your books?
Making every word in the scene count. Ensuring that the story moves along with conflict, tension and suspense. You have to have twists and turns to throw the reader off balance while conveying the same emotions within the story so what the characters feel, the reader feels. Doing the unexpected, the surprise reveal is so difficult because the average reader is savvy and seen it all and read it all. So if I can connect them with the characters and get them to have the same mindset, it’s a win win on both sides of the story.
What are your most played songs?
I don’t usually play any music when I’m writing EXCEPT if I’m trying to set a particular mood within the scene to get the emotional impact right. I read once, when life is good, we hear the music, when life is bad, we listen to the words.
Do you have critique partners or beta readers?
My process is different when it comes to critiques. I find that when in writer’s groups, we give a snippet of the story where everyone tears into. You turn around and make the changes only to hear at the next meeting you changed portions that they liked. I use Fiverr beta readers. Why, because of the report you get. I get three beta readers and read each one three times before placing them together seeing what they all agree upon. Based on that, I make the adjustment which makes the story better. Why, because instead of using a mallet to rework the story, you use a scalpel and cut out exactly what needs to be cut and reworked without tearing other pieces apart.
What book are you reading now?
I have a friend’s book called Vietnam Combat by Robin Bartlett. It is a memoir about his service life. I’ve been trying to read it but the series has taken on a life of its own. But it will be read this year.
How did you start your writing career?
I had a Jr High school teacher tell me I should be a writer. A talent that wasn’t encouraged in my house. I rewrote a scene from Romeo and Juliet that made her and the class laugh. She read that piece to several classes even after I left for high school. Many years later at the University of West Virginia, I took a creative writing class to offset all the math based classes I was taking. There was a woman there at the last summer class who loved the reaction of the class. See, I watched and observed the four most dominate personalities and crafted a rough draft called Louie’s Charcoal Pit where the class was the diner, Louie was the teacher, Robert Kotch, and the characters were the people in the class. Mrs. Adams was so impressed that she told the teacher she wanted me to do the creative writing program. This was before you could get a degree in it. So I got a certificate in creative writing and the journey continues.
Tell us about your next release.
Gail and her friends may have escaped the mountain, but now they all have to deal with the AFTERMATH. Two years later, all have entered the workforce. Neal and Gail are contentedly married, and she’s pregnant with twins on the way. But Neal is unsettled as special abilities emerge, which he has to learn to embrace. Worse yet, he’s having strange visions of gruesome murders that actually happened as if he was there. Now Neal, Gail, and friends are wondering if he is truly going rabid. As they dig deeper into the mystery, they find the truth is far worse and more insidious than anyone could imagine. Aftermath is a mystery suspense continuation to Zip Line that will grip you from beginning until the very end. This was released last year in July with the follow up to be released this year called Hybrid. Zip Line and Aftermath are both award winning books so come on down the rabbit hole and see how deep it goes.
About the Author
Michael received a creative writing certificate from the University of West
Virginia in the late 90s. He's been running a successful writer's group
called For The Love Of Words for almost two decades. When he has time, he
teaches in the local library Story 101 - How to create a story. He has won
in every category over a five-year period in a state-funded wordsmith
competition in Poetry, Essay, Short Story, and One-Act Play.
Contact Link
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