Hi all!
Today I had the pleasure of interviewing author Michael Rivers who was nice enough to answer my questions!
Q: Can you tell us a bit about yourself?
Michael Rivers: Thank you for having me with you today. It is a pleasure to be able to talk with your readers. I am Micheal Rivers. I am an American author born on the coast of North Carolina. During the Vietnam War, I served as a United States Marine. I have traveled extensively and performed many duties other than writing. Over the years I have delved deeply into the world of paranormal phenomena and collected stories from many nations. As a former EMT in the city of Chicago as well as other vocations I have lived a very exciting life. I currently reside in the mountains of Western North Carolina with my wife and a spoiled boxer named Dee Dee. My hobbies are kept to a mere ten thousand, and hopefully, I will get to pursue some of them when time permits.
Q: Do you remember the first story you wrote?
Michael Rivers: The first story I wrote was interested in a lot of aspects for me. It was an adventure to see if I was capable of writing a story. I am still holding on to it and plan to rewrite and publish it in the future. This particular story does not contain anything involving the paranormal or supernatural. At the time it was written the Cold War was still in play and the paranormal was something people did not like to discuss. Yet it remains untitled.
Q: Were you inspired by something or someone?
Michael Rivers: Everything in life inspires me. People, in general, most certainly do. The different lifestyles and beliefs of the varied cultures are always a great topic of discussion. In our day-to-day living, we are often introduced to people unknown to us that have lived very interesting lives. The stories that can be derived from them are sometimes amazing. I would like to say, as far as a singular person is concerned I would certainly give credit to my father. He inspired me a great deal with his teaching.
Q: Can you tell us about your soon-to-be-released book “Verlige”?
Michael Rivers: Verlige is a paranormal thriller delivering certain cunning like both worlds. The story deals with the danger of living with entities from the past. Are living beings able to coincide with the spirits of the dead in the same world? You will know the consequences the interactions can bring. Set in a remote castle of small notoriety in Germany a team of investigators finds themselves asking, “Can you bargain with the dead”?
Q: How did you come up with the story for the book?
Michael Rivers: I have always had an avid interest in castles and their history. Castle lords were the ruling class and a great amount of power lay within their reach. These people were the deciding factor of how others lived their lives. It was a temptation to pull together these people of yesterday and have a say on what they would change for us today. The possibilities were endless. The inclusion of one particular faction will be a surprise for everyone.
Q: Did you do lots of research for the book?
Michael Rivers: When I began writing the book the research involving the time periods became a much larger load than I expected. At times there was some difficulty finding facts involving particular types of wood and weaponry. The speech pattern for some characters was difficult to locate and had to be drawn from works from latter time period books. To culminate the architecture for a fictitious castle is extremely difficult. Castle Verlige is drawn from at least four different castles, some no longer in existence.
Q: What attracts you to the paranormal?
Michael Rivers: I have been dealing with the paranormal since an early age. It was accepted as part of life. There was no fear of the events, just a questioning of how it could happen. As I became older I wanted to capture some evidence and analyze it. There is just too much happening without just cause. A million questions are raised when you take a photograph and find someone in the picture who is not in your group. In the case of two cameras shooting at the same time, one shows nothing out of the ordinary, while the other has a solid unexplained person in period dress as solid as you or me, It leaves me with this question, is there another plane of existence we cannot define?
Q: Are you working on something new at the moment?
Michael Rivers: I am actually working on four projects at the moment. One of the projects is the sequel to The Black Witch. The other three will be a surprise for my readers to enjoy. I am sure there will also be a sequel to Verlige.
Q: Where do you see yourself in a couple of years concerning writing?
Michael Rivers: I desire to be able to continue writing stories for as long as possible.
Q: Which one of your books are you the proudest of?
Michael Rivers: I take a lot of pride in all of them. These stories are not for everyone because people have different tastes. Those who enjoy a ghostly visit can always find my work waiting for them.
Q: Do you have any tips for aspiring writers?
Michael Rivers: Writing is not easy work. The hours you will put into getting a story complete is more than you will ever do working an everyday job. Patience, above all, is a necessity. Be careful choosing an editor. Just like the hamburger you buy at the local restaurants, no two editors are of the same quality. Your book cover is your introduction to your reader; always have your best foot forward. People will recognize you by your brand. Patience, gratitude, and kindness are your best friends.
Q: Which author inspires you?
Michael Rivers: I am not sure if inspire would be the right word for me. I have a long and varied list of authors I respect. The classic authors, such as Poe, Tennyson, and more fascinate me.
Q: Where can people go and read your work?
Michael Rivers: Currently all my books can be found at Amazon books. http://www.amazon.com/
Q: Where can people find you on the internet?
Michael Rivers: I can be found on my website, Twitter, and Facebook. I would like to invite everyone to come and say hello. I will be happy to answer any questions for you or just chat. You are always welcome.
Website: http://michealrivers.com/
Twitter: @micheal_rivers
Blog site: http://michealrivers.com/blog/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Author.MichealRivers?ref=tn_tnmn