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Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Author Interview – Michael J. Bowler

30Can we expect more books from you in the future?

Once I complete the Children of the Knight Trilogy, I already have my next four books outlined and ready to go. I like certain genres, horror having been a lifelong favorite. My next book will be a horror story involving a group of special ed high school kids who are called upon to save the world from a supernatural evil. Kids with learning or other disabilities are generally the lowest rung of the high school food chain and I have a lot of experience working with that population. It’s high time they got their moment in the spotlight.

After that I have a “superhero” story about a guy with no super powers, and a sci-fi action tale about the creation of a dangerous, unstoppable weapon. So you can see that as a writer, I tend to be all over the map. I even have a crazy, offbeat comedy on the docket that has also been outlined, so yes, more books are forthcoming.

Are you reading any interesting books at the moment?

I’m currently slogging my way through the “Song of Ice and Fire” series, though I’m not loving it as I was told by friends I likely would. I’m maybe five hundred pages into the second book but don’t feel compelled to pick it up every day. These books are well written, but slow moving. Since I tend to write YA books, I like to read current YA that is popular just to see what kids like.

I just finished “City of Bones” and found that one uninvolving to the point I’ll not read the sequels. I realize I’m not the target audience for books like that, but I loved the Harry Potter and original Percy Jackson series so some do interest me. I’m just about to begin The Fault in Our Stars, which I’ve heard is an outstanding book, and I try to support fellow Harmony Ink authors if they write something I think I might enjoy.

Are there any new authors who have sparked your interest and why?

J.R. Lenk, who wrote one book, published in 2012, called Collide, is an up and coming talent to watch. I wrote a long review for Amazon and Goodreads because I was so impressed by the writing and the maturity of the writing, especially given that Lenk was seventeen when he wrote it. Normally, I wouldn’t have read a book like that because it’s a niche I didn’t read, but I stumbled upon it scrolling through Goodreads and when I learned the author’s age (eighteen upon publication), as a long-time high school teacher I wanted to check it out.

It may not be your cup of tea and, as I pointed out in my review, I couldn’t relate to any of the experiences the high school kids had in the story, but the raw emotions this author was able to conjure sucked me in and entangled my heart and got me totally caught up within the lives of his two main characters. A book’s description has to interest me more than the author or I won’t read the book, but Lenk is an amazing writer and I will at least consider reading whatever he releases next.

How hard was it to write a book like this and do you have any tips that you could pass on which would make the journey easier for other writers?

The sheer scope of this story was a bit intimidating. It’s the first of a trilogy and each subsequent installment begins exactly where the previous one ended, almost as though they were all one book. Thus I had to map out all three of them even as I was writing the first one so everything would connect and add up.

There are also a lot of characters, and the overriding goal of gaining more rights for kids in this country is so huge that I have been working nonstop since June of 2012 to complete the series, while also helping get the current book edited and ready for publication. My advice to other writers might be, “think smaller” in terms of plot. Ha! While my book has distinct fantasy elements and is, at heart, a fable, it is set in the real world of today and the issues it depicts and decries are very real and very destructive. Thus it was a delicate balancing act to make the story play out in a believable fashion. Hopefully, I succeeded!

Have you ever considered anyone as a mentor?

I had two amazing English teachers in high school and three in college who really inspired me and encouraged my writing. They spent lots of time helping me shape my ideas and thoughts and express them in ways that others could read and enjoy. Plus, the high school teachers had such a positive, nurturing influence on me that I wanted to go into teaching as well as writing so I could perhaps touch the lives of kids the way they had touched mine.

On the non-education side, Father Greg Boyle, who runs Homeboy Industries is a friend and mentor and a personal hero of mine. I’ve learned an extraordinary amount about humility, decency, compassion, and unbending resolve from this remarkable man.

Children of the Knight

According to legend, King Arthur is supposed to return when Britain needs him most. So why does a man claiming to be the once and future king suddenly appear in Los Angeles?

This charismatic young Arthur creates a new Camelot within the City of Angels to lead a crusade of unwanted kids against an adult society that discards and ignores them. Under his banner of equality, every needy child is welcome, regardless of race, creed, sexual orientation, or gang affiliation.

With the help of his amazing First Knight, homeless fourteen-year-old Lance, Arthur transforms this ragtag band of rejected children and teens into a well-trained army-the Children of the Knight. Through his intervention, they win the hearts and minds of the populace at large, and gain a truer understanding of themselves and their worth to society. But seeking more rights for kids pits Arthur and the children squarely against the rich, the influential, and the self-satisfied politicians who want nothing more than to maintain the status quo.

Can right truly overcome might? Arthur’s hopeful young knights are about to find out, and the City of Angels will never be the same.

Buy Now @ Amazon

Genre – Edgy Young Adult

Rating – PG13

More details about the author

Connect with  Michael J. Bowler on Facebook & Twitter

Website http://michaeljbowler.com/

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