Today's Interview is with Michael John Sullivan - the Author of the Religious Fiction Novel Everybody's Daughter which has been released in May 2012 and received lots of praise and excellent 5 Star Reviews.
Interview with Author Michael John Sullivan
Michael John Sullivan: My first novel, Necessary Heartbreak: A Novel of Faith and Forgiveness, was published by Simon & Schuster's Gallery Books in 2010. The book was named one of the best books in 2010 by Library Journal. I've written articles for the Washington Post, CNN.com, and The Huffington Post on the issue of homelessness. My second novel, Everybody's Daughter was published via Fiction Studio Books in June of 2012.
Who are your favorite writers, your favorite book, and who or what are your writing influences?
I have many favorite writers in a variety of areas -- Hemingway for the way he lived and reported, Norman Vincent Peale for his passion to encourage others, and Bruce Springsteen for his lyrics and inspiration.
Was there anything in your childhood that influences you today in what you love to write about?
Yes. Every Sunday evening, our family would sit down for dinner. Toward the end of dinner, my father would put the radio on and we would listen to Norman Vincent Peale speak. He always had an incredible way of touching my heart, making sense of this world. I admired his thoughts and his ability to inspire. The times I've listened to him during those Sunday evenings has had a positive and profound effect on my life.
"My routine is I have none."
Tell us about your writing process. Do you have a writing routine?
My routine is I have none. I do spend a lot of time researching, plotting, and procrastinating. When I feel I'm ready, I start writing my story in a notebook first. Then I take it to the computer and rewrite it.
What do you find easiest about writing?
The easiest part is the planning or plotting of the story.
What the hardest?
Re-writing it. There are some authors who enjoy it. I do so to an extent. But I'm always deleting thousands of words. It's painful at times.
When did you first know that you wanted to be a writer?
At a very early age. I wrote a lot of poetry, especially when it involved a relationship with a girl. I have boxes of poems written about females who have broken my heart. I am a romantic.
Michael, please tell us a little about your novel 'Everybody's Daughter?
It's the second of three books in the series. It's about a single father, dealing with a teenage daughter in tough economic times, trying to understand his role in this world as a father, a man, and what his faith means to him. He is given an incredible opportunity to visit Jesus during the time He was preaching. My main character has an opportunity to ask Jesus questions about his deceased wife and future.
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| Click to Read an Excerpt |
What inspired you to write the book?
My life experiences. I have utilized many emotional experiences that still affect me to this day -- my relationships with my daughters and wife, my childhood pains, the loss of my mother at an important part of my life, the time I thought about committing suicide and fighting it off. I had written some of the material while I was homeless, riding a NYC subway train at night. I certainly dug deep inside my heart to pour out some of this material. It allowed me to heal, too, emotionally.
Who do you see as your target audience?
My target audience is for anyone who enjoys a suspenseful thriller. It's a clean read, too, so it can be read by families.
How would you describe the success of your book so far? (Sales, Awards, Reviews)
The reviews have been wonderful. I wanted to reach out to reviewers who had never heard of me nor read my first book to get an honest feel. The results were tremendous and fulfilling.
How long did it take it to write the book?
About a year. I was fortunate enough to work with an editor, Selena Robins, who pushed hard in some key areas -- character development, tension between the characters, and dialogue. I learned quite a bit working with her.
Please, tell us where you self-published the book.
Fiction Studio Books in Connecticut.
"It's important to drop your ego during the editing process."
How smooth went the self-publishing process?
It went smoothly. Publisher Lou Aronica is experienced. He is the former publisher at Avon and is up on the trends of the business, including the digital revolution.
Any issues? None at all.
What are things to look for when self-publishing a book?
Having a professional designer do your cover, a great editor like I have, and the ability to step aside and look at your work objectively. It's important to drop your ego during the editing process.
Did you hire an editor and/or Cover Designer for your book?
I did hire Selena Robins as my editor and Jeff Fielder as my designer. I highly recommend both.
"[...] don't be afraid to tear up a chapter and do it again."
Can you give some tips for other Indie Authors regarding the writing and self-publishing process?
Be patient, rewrite and revise, don't be afraid to tear up a chapter and do it again.
Are you working on another book project? Can you tell us a little about it?
I'm working on the third book of the series called The Greatest Christmas. This book will complete the story of Michael and Elizabeth Stewart as they have a chance to live life as Jesus and the apostles did 2,000 years ago.
Are you planning to move forward as an Indie author or are you looking forward to have one of our next books to be traditionally published?
Whatever luck comes my way, I will follow it. I have had wonderful experiences with both.
Where do you see the book market in 5 or 10 years?
I see Amazon.com being the main player in the business. They have the ability to distribute books and more and more people are buying Kindles. Perhaps Barnes and Noble will be their main competition with the Nook. But the next generations are growing up on eBooks.
"[...] likes to have the feel and smell of the book nearby."
Will there be only eBooks and will book stores disappear like record stores disappeared?
I think some book stores will exist because there is a still part of the reading population that likes to have the feel and smell of the book nearby.
Do you write full-time or do you have a day job?
I write full-time though I am hoping I'll win the lottery someday so I don't have to worry about paying my bills.
How can readers connect with you?
Via my website. [see Links below]
Thank you so much for the Interview, Michael.
Please, leave some comments/questions for the Author!
About the Book Everybody's Daughter
Would you give up your own lifetime of happiness for someone else?
Michael Stewart confronts these questions as he travels back in time through a mysterious tunnel in an old church when the Romans ruled with brutal violence and Jesus preached his peaceful message.
His teenage daughter Elizabeth soon follows Michael, but is surprised to discover that her father is nowhere to be found. Little does she know that Michael has returned safely to the present, leaving her to battle a vicious Roman soldier.
Separated by centuries, Michael is trapped to fight his own battles in the present day. Elizabeth’s disappearance, and the discovery of her blood in his car ignites a rush of judgment as the FBI focuses on him as a person of interest. Michael’s only hope for saving his daughter rests in the hands of his best friend – a local pastor with secrets of his own – and a mysterious old journal containing tales of miracles within the walls of the old church itself.
Thrilling and suspenseful, Everybody's Daughter takes readers on a miraculous journey of their own, where salvation can be found in acts of sacrifice and hope remains forever eternal through the passage of a tunnel.
The Book has received so far 22 (out of 24) Five-Star-Reviews
Links to the Author and the Book
Link to Michael John Sullivan's website
Connect with Michael John Sullivan on Twitter: @AuthorMSullivan
Link to the Book Everybody's Daughter on Amazon with Excerpt
1 comment:
Thanks for this Alan and Michael. Everybody's Daughter is next of my queue.
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