About Micheal Maxwell:
Micheal Maxwell was taught the beauty and majesty of the English language by Bob Dylan, Robertson Davies, Charles Dickens and Leonard Cohen.
Mr. Maxwell has traveled the globe, dined with politicians, rock stars and beggars. He has rubbed shoulders with priests and murderers, surgeons and drug dealers, each one giving him a part of themselves that will live again in the pages of his books.
The Cole Sage series brings to life a new kind of hero. Short on vices, long on compassion and dedication to a strong sense of making things right. As a journalist he writes with conviction and purpose. As a friend he is not afraid to bend the law a bit to help and protect those he loves.
Micheal Maxwell writes from a life of love, music, film, and literature. He lives in California with his lovely wife and traveling partner Janet.
What inspires you to write?
Neil Young sang, “I been to Hollywood, I been to Redwood, I crossed the ocean for a heart of gold.” I feel like that. I have been blessed with an amazing life. The people, the place, the stories and the adventures all are part of the inspiration for my writing.
I love a good story, and I try my best to write stories that touch peoples hearts.
There are a look of books I have bought that just had so much sex, and profanity in them I felt uncomfortable reading the, and I was by myself! I thought there have got to be a lot of people like me who want a great, mystery, thriller, romance without all the X-rated sex and cursing. So I decided to write my own. THe thing is readers have responded.
Tell us about your writing process.
This may sound silly, but I get a first sentence or first scene and that often sets the tone and momentum for the entire book. I am a firm believer in outlines. I always write a one page version of the story. Like we’re out for coffee and you ask what my new books about. One page I tell you the story. Then I do a chapter breakdown. Beginning, middle, end, what’s going to happen. I pace the action and plot by the chapters. Then off I go to write the story and it grows and takes on a life of its own.
Sounds easy, right? It’s not! LOL
For Fiction Writers: Do you listen (or talk to) to your characters?
I’m afraid I go a step beyond that. I actually see the movie of the book in my head. Where the characters stand, how they’re dress, how they move and yes most importantly how they talk. I see the building as the car goes by them, the cafes, the apartments, the offices, everything in the book has lived in technicolor in my head.
Unfortunately, there is a lot of re-winding the tape because I can’t type as fast as I think.
What advice would you give other writers?
Write.
Singers sing, painter paint, runners run. Writer have to write to keep the flow going. I have never had writers block. If I start to bog down or get bored, I shift gears and go write on another project. Short stories are great for that. I usually have three different books going so I just go work on something else.
How did you decide how to publish your books?
I wrote three books before the first one was published. Five if you count the one I have never put out. Writing is so personal and creative I have to share it. If I did a painting I would hang it on the wall. So, I would tell people that I wrote a book. Not pushy, it would just come up in conversation. I they asked to read it I would give it to them.
The thing was almost everybody like it. They would ask, “are you going to publish it?” After a while I thought maybe I should.
It took years of beating my head against the wall until, I was introduced to a great sci-fi writer named David VanDyke who turned me on to the whole self publishing game.
I’ve never looked back and am very happy with the results.
What do you think about the future of book publishing?
Don’t by any stock in black ink.
What do you use?: Co-writer, Professional Editor, Professional Cover Designer
What genres do you write?: Mystery Thriller, Teen and Young Adult Time Travel Adventure, Christian Faiction, Westerns, Short Stories
What formats are your books in?: eBook, Print, Both eBook and Print
Website(s)
Micheal Maxwell Home Page Link
Link To Micheal Maxwell Page On Amazon
Link to Author Page on Smashwords
