Welcome to another author spotlight. I'd like to welcome Michael Meyer, author of Deadly Eyes, to the blog. It's a pleasure having you here with us today. Please tell the readers a bit more about you. I'm a retired college professor. I literally taught at universities throughout the world, Thailand, Saudi Arabia, the Virgin Islands, and I spent the last 25 years of my 40-year career at a California community college. I live in Southern California wine country with my wife, Kitty, and our two other cats.
Teaching around the world sounds like it would be so much fun. What types of books do you write?
I write mysteries, thrillers, comic fiction, contemporary fiction, and I am currently working on a non-fiction account of my journey from grieving widower to the once-again happily married man I am today.
Sounds like you're very busy these days. Who's your main audience?
I really have no idea. I do know, however, that, thanks to Amazon, my books have been purchased from readers throughout the world. Being an international author is very exciting.
It sounds very exciting. When it comes to writing- what are your strong points? What are your weaknesses?
My strongest point is that I'm like a reader as I write, not quite knowing what will happen next. I write to please myself. I want to get enjoyment out of what I write.
My weak point is that I am not good at tooting my own horn. I am a writer, not a salesperson, so I have trouble at times getting the word out about my books.
I hear a lot of authors say they write for the enjoyment. I think that's what makes the best stories. What do you think of this term- Writer's Block? How do you overcome it?
I never allow it to trouble me. I write for enjoyment. When I am struggling, I get away from the computer and do something different. I never want to think of writing as a hardship. I always want it to be fun, and creating characters and situations is something I really like to do.
How many books have you written?
I have 6 books written, one of them nearly completed, entitled THE THREE KITTIES THAT SAVED MY LIFE, the true story of my journey from abject despair to loving life once again after the tragic death of my wife.
Of those six, how many are published?
I have 5 published books, two mysteries/thrillers, a humorous novel, a contemporary novel, and a bundle of my two international thrillers.
Are you self published or traditionally published?
I wanted my work to be seen right away, so I headed off to Amazon. I am so glad that I did. I now have readers literally throughout the world. It is just amazing and so exciting.
What's the hardest part of the writing process for you?
The most difficult part for me is saying goodbye to my creation and sending it off to its new home at Amazon. I almost feel like a father whose son or daughter has now moved out to live on its own. It is hard.
What type of books do you enjoy reading?
I am a very eclectic reader as I am a writer. I read a wide variety of fiction genres, and I also read a lot of highly documented history.
I know this is a hard one at times for authors, but who's your favorite Author?
I would have to say that it would probably be the person I am reading at the time. I love to read, and I really immerse myself within a book.
What's your all time favorite book?
I have so many, but CANNERY ROW by John Steinbeck would have to be right at the top of my list.
How long does it take you to write a book?
I am a perfectionist, so it takes me a long time, months and sometimes years in order to get things just right.
Out of all of your characters, which is your favorite? Why?
Rosie, one of the main characters of Deadly EYES, is a woman I literally have fallen in love with. She is sexy, feisty, witty, intelligent, and not afraid to say or do anything.
What is one of the most surprising things you've learned as a writer?
I really am into the power of words. I love good repartee, and it has certainly found a good home in DEADLY EYES with the frisky banter between Rosie and her lover, Cuff.
What does your family think of your writing?
They love it.
What does your writing schedule look like?
I write when the urge hits, and when that happens time stops. Nothing else matters. I write until I completely lose track of time. I am generally more productive in the early morning hours, right after my morning workout, during which I come up with many of my best ideas.
Do you manage to write every day?
No. I have other interests also. Some days I will not write at all. Some days I will do nothing but write. I love to travel, and when I travel I make a complete vacation out of it: it is not a working vacation, so I leave my writing back home.
19. What's the latest news you'd like to share?
DEADLY EYES and COVERT DREAMS are now rated #1 and #2 on the Goodreads Recommended Suspense/Thriller list, something that I find to be very exciting.
20. Do you have any advice for new writers?
Write, write, and write because that’s what writers do.
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Thank you so much Michael for taking the time to discuss what makes you tick and your work. It was a pleasure having you here with us. For those of you who enjoyed the interview and would like to learn more about Michael, you can find him at the following links:
Amazon author’s site: http://www.amazon.com/Michael-Meyer/e/B005E7M8CW/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1
Facebook writers site: https://www.facebook.com/MichaelMeyersWritingLife/app_191387770912394
Pinterest author’s site: http://pinterest.com/temmike/#
Here's a bit more about his book, Deadly Eyes:
BLURB
James Cuffy, better known as Cuff, is living in paradise with his girlfriend, on the small Caribbean island of St. Croix, where the sky is as blue as Cuff's eyes, the ocean as pretty as Rosie's cheeks, where the gentle lapping of the waves is a lullaby, and the swaying of the palm trees is a dance. The sandy beaches are as white as sugar, and the horizon is a world away. St. Croix indeed is paradise, the perfect place for living, laughing, and loving.
But the sandy beaches and the turquoise sea can provide no cover from the deadly eyes of the unknown stalker pursuing Cuff. Murder leads to murder as he attempts to untangle the terrible web in which he has suddenly become entangled.
The twists and turns are relentless, the roads of the fast action leading in all directions, but time is running out, and Cuff, his faithful Rosie at his side, knows it.
TRAILER: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWLBtVDUdC4
EXCERPT:
These were not naked eyes, for the distance between these eyes and the beach bar at Cathy's Fancy was too great for the naked eye to discern who was who. No, these eyes had planned meticulously. The eyes were glued to a pair of terribly expensive and unbelievably powerful Swarovski Optik binoculars. The balcony on which they now worked, taking in the scene before them, was the perfect place to see but not be seen. The powerful binoculars saw to that.
The distance, the palm trees, and the rays of the sun all helped. The position had been hand picked, after careful consideration. Every angle had been considered, and, one by one, they had all been discarded for one reason or another until this very spot, the perfect place to observe while not being observed, had been selected.
Yes, the eyes had seen it all. The eyes had seen precisely what they had hoped to see. They were like a master puppeteer. They planned, controlled, and observed, but from a safe distance. They did not miss a trick.
The eyes. The deadly eyes of St. Croix.
1 comment:
Nice interview of a very modest author...Regards John Condliffe
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