Author Interview with Michael Maxwell

11/16/2018

Who are you?

I am an artist in search of his art. I have painted, made a film, done photography, wood work, turned bowls, sculpture, and a dozen other things all in trying to find a creative outlet.

I found it in returning to my first love, writing. Along with my wife I have been to fifty countries. I have an AA, BA, and MA. I've worked in advertising, owned my own business, promoted concerts, taught English from junior high to university. I have three sons, and three grandchildren.

Where do you live?

We live in a very small resort community in California called Twain Harte. It is about an hour or so from Yosemite National Park. We recently bought a home on a lake in Washington State.

Which by the way, I made a large down payment on from my royalties. So, we intend to split our time between them.

What’s your home life like?

In California we are far more isolated than I would prefer. Most the the houses are empty in our hamlet because the owners only use them as getaways or vacation rentals. So it is quite boring.
Our home in Washington on the other hand is surrounded by wonderful neighbors, beautiful lake views, ever changing weather, and a town that is home to a lot of foodies, and artisans.

What genre(s) to you like to write? To read?

I have said from the beginning of my writing career, I am a man without a genre. My Cole Sage series is listed as a mystery, thriller, but it is far more than that. It is a series of books that follow a man's emotional, spiritual, and psychological journey while being thrown into situations that are not of his choosing. Cole Sage is a journalist at heart who refuses to adapt to an industry he no longer fits in, he is a college professor who refuses to play politics and a novelist who misses the thrill of the chase. So it is an arch of a man seeking romance, fulfillment, and making the world a better place. Kind of like all of us!
I have also written two stand alone novels, Dara and Dupree, a mystery romance travel log, and Three Nails, the story of a teacher devastated by the loss of his only son, and the effect it has on his relationships with his family, students, and colleagues. This year I also published a collection of short stories and the very first piece of long fiction I wrote.
As to my reading, I love mysteries, Peter Lovesey and Stuart M. Kaminsky being my favorites. I love great story telling, Charles Dickens, John Jakes and Robertson Davies are the very best to me. I am a life long collector of any and everything I can get my hands on about T.E. Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia) or Bob Dylan. So, my tastes very depending on my mood. But mysteries are my go to read of choice.

Why did you start writing?

I seems I have always been a writer. As a child I loved to write stories. In college I was a communications major that took every English course I could because I got an "A" in them! Great for the grade point average. All because I loved to write. I finally change my major!
Diamonds and Cole, the first Cole Sage book, was written at a time when I was so bored with my job I need an outlet to just do something creative. It actually started out as a one page little scene. It felt so good, the next day I just kept going. When I finished the book. I didn't want to stop and before I knew it I had written three squeals. As of today there are eight published and two more on the way.

What do you do when you’re not writing?

I have been a music collector since I was about ten. The year the Beatles appeared on Ed Sullivan.There is always music playing in my house.
I have become hopelessly addicted to French, Scandinavian, British, German and Italian detective TV shows.
I love to cook.
I am pretty much an indoor guy. I don't pay any attention to sports, and American television is garbage. I love to do research on whatever interests at the moment. I discovered the untapped, gold mine, of crazy, crack pot, conspiracy theory nuts on YouTube and I love going down those uncharted rabbit holes! LOL

Where do you like to go when looking for a new book to read?

I read a lot of news pages on the net. I always hit the entertainment tab and read reviews of new releases. Then I go to Amazon and read the reviews. I am fascinated by what people think. I always start with the one stars and then go to the fives. I know it's weird but that's how I discover new books.

At what point do you call it quits when reading a new book?

I used to have a rule. If you start a book and get past chapter three you have to finish it.
What an incredible amount of time I wasted on crap.
Now if I don't like it by the third chapter I'm done.

Are you independently or traditionally published?

I am proud to say I am an Indie Author.
After getting absolutely nowhere with the traditional publishing machine, I was blessed to meet two guys who got me started on the path to successfully self-publishing. David Van Dyke the Sci-Fi and mystery writer really showed me how to get started. Then I was invited, because of David, to submit a story for what became "Eight the Hard Way" an anthology of"killer thrillers.' It was there that I met Nick Stephenson, long before he became the Grand Poo-Bah of self-publishing. He really taught me how to get on the map marketing wise.

How many books/stories have you published so far?

Thirteen books so far. I have also edited an anthology of mystery short stories, and appeared in two more.

(Here are some)

What book/story are you currently promoting or working on?

I have recently joined forces with Tim Attewell, a terrific mystery sci-fi writer, to write a new series. We have five books outlined and planned to two about to be published, Dead Beat, and Dead Duck. Dead on arrival, Dead Hand, Dead Head are in the works. See a pattern developing there?
I am writing a sequel to Dara and Dupree, called White Owl. A stand alone novel called Clean Cut Kid. And hopefully, I will find time to finish a totally unique Western I have been working on hit and miss for several years.

What’s the elevator pitch?

Here are three:
White Owl, the sequel to Dara and Dupree, finds Dupree fighting city hall, defending a wrongfully accused undocumented immigrant, and getting dragged into the terrifying world of a vigilantly killer.
The new Flynt and Steele:Dead Series, brings to life a pair of detectives each with their own emotional scares that are far more alike than it would appears. It takes place in a southern California town with more than its share of odd ball murders.
Cole Sage book #9 (yet to be titled) finds Cole coming to the aid of a Native American Veteran, trying to get his girlfriend and son in Iraq a Visa into the USA. Beneath the surface though, is a web of armed lies, robbery, embezzlement and murder.

How long have you been working on it?

All together the four books have been in the pipeline about six months.

When will it be available to buy? Where?

Dead Beat, and Dead Duck should be available by Christmas. White Owl and Cole Sage book #9 hopefully by early Spring.

How can readers find you?

I would love to hear from any and all your readers. My email is maxwell@authorreach.com. They can join the ongoing search for all thing Cole Sage at my Facebook Author Page.
I am fortunate that all my books are available at Amazon, iTunes, Kobo, Barnes and Noble, and Smashwords.

What inspires you to keep writing?

"I thought you said you were writing!" - My long suffering wife.

"You're all mad for words. Words are just farts from a lot of fools who have swallowed too many books." - Robertson Davies

“Start writing, no matter what. The water does not flow until the faucet is turned on.” — Louis L’Amour

Anything you’d like to add?

Thanks for this chance to greet your reads. On behalf of all authors, whether it is my book or someone else's... Leave a review!
It is your way of telling the author thank you or you suck! Both need to be said for the good of the work to come. Reviews sell books, and they are the best form of advertising an author has. Besides, it will make you feel good, being part of the living breathing thing that is a book.

My thanks to Michael for joining the Laughably Inane Blog. I wish him the best of success in all his future endeavors.

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