Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Before I was a teenager, I used to sneak Stephen King books off his mom’s bookshelf. That was my self-introduction into adult horror, which probably had an impact on my dark sense of humor and love of horror movies. That, on top of an active imagination, gave me some pretty twisted stories for a 12-year-old. And as I matured, I put that imagination to use by studying the importances of plot, characters, conflict, themes, and interactions while in college. But before writing full-time, I had a long career as an international film publicist. I had worked on multiple titles for Walt Disney, Pixar, Lionsgate, Lakeshore Entertainment, Warner Bros., Summit Entertainment, as well as the 2013 Academy Award® Best Foreign Language film, “La grande bellezza” (The Great Beauty). That was a fun job.
I’ve published four novels, a children’s picture book, and three short stories to date. The novels and one of the short stories belong to my Chupacabra Series and the other two shorts are independent from that series, as is the children’s picture book, obviously. This September, I’ll be releasing a novella called, “The Ghost of Christmas Past,” based on the popular Charles Dickens character from “A Christmas Carol.” You’ll discover how the Ghost of Chrismtas Past came to be and what kind of live it lived before transitioning into a spirit.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
I suppose I should talk about “The Ghost of Christmas Past” since it’s completed, technically, and just waiting for final cover art and a publicity plan. I began writing the novella as a screenplay (remember, I used to work in Hollywood) in 1996. In 2006, the script was entered in the prestigious competition, Scriptapalooza, and placed as a finalist out of over 3,000 entries. Though it didn’t win, that competition had validated the story for me. Winning over judges is much more difficult than winning over the average reader.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Unusual? Not really. I sometimes listen to music when I write to help inspire. Or sometimes I take a leisurely drive. Something about not having anywhere to go helps clear my mind.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Being a WWII-horror, Robert McCammon inspired my love for cross-genre after I read, “The Wolf’s Hour.” My Chupacabra Series is a western-thriller series. J.K. Rowling showed me that YA and fantasy could be wonderfully engaging and inspired me to write outside of horror. And J.D. Salinger’s depth of character in “The Catcher in the Rye,” challenges me to make every character count.
What are you working on now?
I just started outlining the final two books of the Chupacabra Series, numbers five and six together. Though the stories are separate, there is some interlocking. I thought it was best to outline them back to back to avoid those “Oh, Crap!” moments when I realize I need to go back to the previous book and plant some information when it’s already been published.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
The best success I’ve received was when I put the second book in my Chupacabra Series, “Curse of the Chupacabra,” for free promo on Amazon from Black Friday to Cyber Monday. It really bumped up the sales of the first book in the series, “Night of the Chupacabra.”
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Hang in there, and don’t take only the “downs” with a grain of salt, but the “ups” too, because the next day might be a downer and to land after falling from a higher position hurts a lot more. Just today, I received a message from a book reviewer who was reviewing my “award-winning” book “Night of the Chupacabra,” to tell me that he/she would either give it one-star or mark it as DNF. Now, remember when I said “award-winning?” I never thought it would receive that kind of review… ever! I admit the book’s not for everybody, but DNF? Really? My heart dropped to my feet like a Pachinko ball. I actually thought long and hard on what to tell the reviewer. I’m not opposed to bad reviews, but because the decision rested in my hands, the temptation was much too great to tell the reviewer to forget they ever read my book.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Write what you’re passionate about, and then rewrite it, and then rewrite, and then rewrite it…
What are you reading now?
Disclaimer: I’m probably the world’s slowest reader who writes. Granted, I like to spend more time writing than reading, but I’ve been reading Anthony Renfro’s “Nightlight Tales,” since November of 2015. And this should, by no means, be misconstrued as a dislike for the book. I am enjoying his collection of short stories. It’s just difficult for me to read while I write because one story takes me out of the other.
What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m hoping to do another children’s picture book. I’ve come across some amazing illustrators and I have a poem ready for a Halloween book. And once the Chupacabra Series is finished, I have a stand-alone high tech thriller novel I’d like to dig into followed by another dark-thriller series. And somewhere in-between all that, I’d like to publish a short story collection.
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Probably some the longest books ever written to help keep me entertained until I’m rescued: War and Peace, Les Miserables, Gone With the Wind, and Stephen King’s The Stand.
Author Websites and Profiles
Michael Hebler Website
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