Interview With Author Michael Springer
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a Barrister-at-Law, married with an 11-year-old daughter, and I live in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. I am also a trained actor and singer. I have one novel, The Flower Bed, published on 30 April 2024 by Echo Books: https://echobooks.com.au/our-books/the-flower-bed-15762/. I am writing my second novel, which I hope to publish by June 2025. I am also a mental survivor, having suffered from various mental health conditions for most of my life, and I am a passionate online advocate to normalise mental health.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The name of my only published novel in The Flower Bed. My inspiration for writing The Flower Bed was my daughter, after I experienced a life changing physical health event at the end of 2015. In January 2016 I gave my then three-year-old daughter her plate of dinner for the night, and as I looked into her eyes, the plot for The Flower Bed suddenly popped into my mind. I immediately sat down at my laptop computer and commenced the manuscript, and the rest was history.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I do not concentrate on just one fiction genre; instead, I blend genres within the plot’s context. The testimonials recorded on my publisher’s webpage for my book show that my writing style is highly regarded, and my admiration includes notable established authors.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
I have read so many fiction and non-fiction books during my lifetime it is difficult for me to say precisely there has been a particular author who has influenced me. In my final year of secondary school, I had to write a thesis about Ken Kesey’s novel One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest. Mr Kesey’s writing engaged my mind to such a degree that I was awarded the top mark in my senior year for my thesis. I also love reading the poetry of the Romantic era poets, so perhaps I am influenced by those writers who do not follow traditional convention or styles.
What are you working on now?
I am writing my second novel, which will be in a different genre and plot from The Flower Bed. I am not a fan of sequels, whether in books or cinema/ stage productions. My second novel will blend genres again; however, without giving too much away, the central character’s life commences in more financially secure circumstances than the central character’s early life circumstances in The Flower Bed.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Every method or website is beneficial in promoting The Flower Bed. I promote my book on eight different websites or social media platforms, including Goodreads. If a person asks me about my occupation in life, I include the fact that I am a published author. Indeed, I remember one person who attended my home for sales purposes and ended up purchasing a copy of The Flower Bed on Amazon right in front of me as he was trying to sell me his products.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Believe in yourself, and do not give up on completing that first manuscript. Do not worry about grammar or spelling, as those issues are addressed in subsequent drafts of your manuscript—just make sure you get the entire story out of your head.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Michael Robotham recently gave me this simple but inspiring advice: “Keep finding time to write.”
What are you reading now?
I am just about to start reading Michael Robotham’s Storm Child, and it will be the first time I have read any of his books.
What’s next for you as a writer?
I will continue to promote The Flower Bed around the globe. It was my publisher’s top-selling book for the July to September 2024 quarter, and I have opened the doorway to the American. United Kingdom markets. I’m hoping to have my second novel ready to be published by June 2025; however, I am not going to hold myself to a particular date because I need to be satisfied with the manuscript before I approach any publisher.
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?
That is a difficult question because by being stranded, I assume that may entail no temporal limitation. So, proceeding based on being stranded forever and without any intention of ranking these works, I would like to have the following books:
1. My copy of The Complete Works of William Shakespeare.
2. The Penguin Book of English Verse.
3. The Heinemann publisher’s copy of F. Scot FitzGerald’s novels.
4. One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest.
Author Websites and Profiles
Michael Springer Amazon Profile
Michael Springer’s Social Media Links
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