Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
My driving passions are travel, my love of music and film, and writing. Each plays an integral part in who I am. My wife is my greatest inspiration to keep writing, my travel partner and a movie buddy.
To date I have completed five books that are available on Amazon Kindle. I have written a couple others that probably won’t be published.
Works in progress include two more Cole Sage Mysteries, a young adult book, a western and a compilation of my short stories. This summer I will be working on a travel book on Ecuador. Other than that I really don’t have a whole lot of writing projects going right now. LOL
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
COLE DUST is the latest book in the Cole Sage Mystery Series. COLE DUST is actually a book within a book. Cole Sage inherits a house in Oklahoma, where he finds a steamer trunk full of old journals. Those journals take us from the early 1900s to the late 1950s, and exposes a dark family mystery. The inspiration for COLE DUST came from growing up listening to my Grandmother and her brother tell stories of the Dust Bowl and the effect it had on their lives. It is a fictional tribute to my family’s oral history.
THREE NAILS a novella, was released shortly after COLE DUST and seems to be picking up steam. It was inspired by the death of a friend’s son. There was a period of about six month that a lot of tragedy happened around me. It seemed like a good way to deal with it was to tell a story that the character’s life was affected by similar loss. The reviews have been very rewarding.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
What authors, or books have influenced you?
I think that my influences breakdown in to three categories. Literary influences are definitely are Charles Dickens, Robertson Davies, and John Jakes all of which are incredible story tellers. My favorite mystery writers are Author Conan Doyle, Stewart M. Kaminsky and Peter Lovesey, they are the text book I use on how write a mystery. The use of language comes from Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen, and Groucho Marx, their ability “turn a phrase” and paint visual images through their manipulation of the English language has taught me that anything is possible with written language.
What are you working on now?
I am currently working on four books! COLE SHOOT #5 and CROSS of COLE #6 in the Cole Sage Series, The Time Pedaler, a young adult Time Travel book (hopefully a series), and a collection of short stories.
If I could just find a month to just hide away, I could wrap all of them up and get them to my editor! So far I haven’t found that month on a calendar anywhere!
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’m hoping Awesomegang is going to be the secret!
I love doing interviews. Interviews give readers a chance to get a good idea who the person is they are about to invest their time and money in. If they like you as a person or find what you have to say interesting they’re more apt to give your work a try.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Don’t try to be someone your not. Just write. Write as you speak, write as you think. Most of all just write. I think a lot of new authors get so wrapped up in the process, and the image of themselves as a writer they lose sight of who they are as a person. I like the example of the preacher who gets up and gives a great sermon, communicates to the folks in the pews heart to heart, and suddenly kicks into King James English with lots of Thees and Thous when he prays. I like to think just as God would like to be spoken to in our normal voice; writers need to speak in their own voice when they speak to their readers.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
I had a History teacher in high school that told us the job of any educated person was to be a modern Renaissance man. I think that advice has served me very well. I have tried to fill my need to create and learn in a lot of different ways. Through travel, film making, painting, wood carving, bowl turning, writing, reading, and continued education, long after earning my degree, I have led a full and enriched life. I have worked in jobs that gave me the ability to share my love of film and music on the radio and in print. I have traveled to almost 40 countries and tried to reach out to people and submerge in their culture.
I have tried to and learned, from many, many different means. Most of all I have tried to be a Renaissance man.
What are you reading now?
Lawrence in Arabia: War, Deceit, Imperial Folly and the Making of the Modern Middle East by Scott Anderson.
I have been a life long student of the life of T.E. Lawrence. I was very excited when this new biography came out. In my personal library I have three shelves of books by, and about Lawrence. Imagine my delight when on the first page of this new book I read an antidote I had never heard before. Anderson is an amazing writer and his fluidity brings to life facets of Lawrence’s life and character that are, though not always new, presented in a fresh and interesting new way. Great book.
What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m excited to finish a couple projects I’ve had to put on the back burner as the Cole Sage series has taken off. I mentioned the time travel book that is nearly finished, I think that is going to be a lot of fun for Jr. High and High School kids. I’m waist deep in a western based on a favorite song of mine. How’s that for a tease?
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?
1) The Deptford Trilogy by Robertson Davies
2) Bob Dylan – Lyrics: 1962-2001
3) Bartlett’s Book of Quotes
4) The Bible
Author Websites and Profiles
Micheal Maxwell Website
Micheal Maxwell Amazon Profile
Micheal Maxwell’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
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