Michael Reisig (The Road to Key West Series) on Fear, Happiness and Writing

1.How do you work through self-doubts and fear?

I check my sales on amazon. That generally helps.

2.What scares you the most?

No sales on amazon.

3.What makes you happiest?

Lots of sales on amazon.

4.What’s your greatest character strength?

I never give up. When I go after something, I beat it ‘till it bleeds.

5.What’s your weakest character trait?

I’m as impatient as a delivery room father. I want it all yesterday.

6.Why do you write?

Because I have to – I have to see the words scroll out of my head and onto the screen. I love birthing plots and characters and seeing them coalesce into good books.

7.Have you always enjoyed writing?

I have certainly always enjoyed creating with my imagination. When I was in the fourth grade the teacher used to give me 20 minutes twice a week to tell a story to the class – and I made the stories up. I was also lead guitarist in a highly successful Rock band for years, and I wrote all of our original music.

The Road to Key West is an adventurous/humorous sojourn that cavorts its way through the 1970s Caribbean, from Key West and the Bahamas, to Cuba and Central America.

In August of 1971, Kansas Stamps and Will Bell set out to become nothing more than commercial divers in the Florida Keys, but adventure, or misadventure, seems to dog them at every turn. They encounter a parade of bizarre characters, from part-time pirates and heartless larcenists, to Voodoo bokors, a wacky Jamaican soothsayer, and a handful of drug smugglers. Adding even more flavor to this Caribbean brew is a complicated romance, a lost Spanish treasure, and a pre antediluvian artifact created by a distant congregation who truly understood the term, “pyramid power.” Pour yourself a margarita, sit back, and slide into the ‘70s for a while as you follow Kansas and Will through this cocktail of madcap adventures – on The Road To Key West.

IF YOU ENJOY THIS NOVEL BE SURE TO READ THE SEQUEL, "BACK ON THE ROAD TO KEY WEST" (To be released in late August or early September, 2013)

"Jimmy Buffett should set this tropical tale to music! The best Key West stories can only be written by those who have lived here, and Reisig expertly captures the steamy, seedy, beautiful allure of the islands. “The Road to Key West” takes readers on a hysterical journey through the humidity and humanity that only exists in the lower latitudes. And much like the Keys in the 1970s, it’s a hell of a trip. —Mandy Bolen, The Key West Citizen

"The Road to Key West" combines the dry cleverness of Lewis Grizzard, the wit of Dave Barry, and Reisig's impeccable sense of timing. It's an action-packed, romantic, charming, hilarious take on the ‘70s and its generation. A must-read! —John Archibald, Ouachita Life Magazine

Buy Now @ Amazon

From the best-selling author of “The Road To Key West” comes a sequel guaranteed to take the reader even higher – another rollicking, hilarious Caribbean adventure that will have you ripping at the pages and laughing out loud.

“Back On The Road To Key West” reintroduces the somewhat reluctant adventurers Kansas Stamps and Will Bell, casting them into one bizarre situation after another while capturing the true flavor and feel of Key West and the Caribbean in the early 1980s.

An ancient map and a lost pirate treasure, a larcenous Bahamian scoundrel and his gang of cutthroats, a wild and crazy journey into South America in search of a magical antediluvian device, and perilous/hilarious encounters with outlandish villains and zany friends will keep you locked to your seat and giggling maniacally. (Not to mention headhunters, smugglers, and beautiful women with poisonous pet spiders.) You’ll also welcome back Rufus, the wacky, mystical Jamaican Rastaman, and be captivated by another “complicated romance” as Kansas and Will struggle with finding and keeping “the girls of their dreams.”

So pour yourself a margarita, and get comfortable. You’re in for another rousing medley of madcap adventures in paradise, with “Back On The Road To Key West.” 

IF YOU ENJOY THIS BOOK BE SURE TO GET THE THIRD IN MICHAEL’S SERIES; “ALONG THE ROAD TO KEY WEST”!

 ______________________________________________________

EDITORIAL REVIEWS

Michael Reisig takes us back once again to the Key West I wish I had known – and that others wish they remembered more clearly. Kansas and Will are back in “Back on the Road to Key West,” with their trademark penchant for sultry sarcasm and sun-drenched excitement. Once again Reisig captures the character of the Keys in a way that proves he’s been here – and perhaps done that. No one wraps us in humidity and surrounds us with saltwater like this guy, whose tales of the tropics draw us constantly back to their welcoming, yet provocative shores. -- Mandy Miles, The Key West Citizen

Having lived in Key West in the late '70's and early '80's, at a time when Mel Fisher still hunted the Atocha, shrimp boats filled the harbors, and ‘square grouper’ were still an abundant species, Michael Reisig's Back on the Road to Key West, transports me back in time. Will Bell and Kansas Stamps face an assortment of ruthless antagonists and chase adventure with the abandon of the era, and whether you lived it or not, don't miss the chance to now. Vivid imagery, strong prose and an exciting plot make this trip with the boys worth taking. Enjoy the ride!" -- John H. Cunningham, author of the Buck Reilly Adventure Series

Stumbling their way in and out of trouble and fortune, Kansas Stamps and Will Bell continue to be the idols of what every true Parrot Head imagines real life in The Keys would be -- full of spontaneous adventure. What a great read! – Bryan Crews, former president, Tampa Parrot Head Club

Buy @ Amazon

WHAT IF YOU DISCOVERED A DEVICE THAT MADE PEOPLE TELL THE TRUTH? Fast-paced humor-adventure with wacky pilots, quirky con men, bold women, mad villains, and a gadget to die for…

In the third book of Michael Reisig’s captivating series, Florida Keys adventurers Kansas Stamps and Will Bell find their lives turned upside down when they discover a truth device hidden in the temple of an ancient civilization. Enthralled by the virtue (and entertainment value) of personally dispensing truth and justice with this unique tool, they take it all a step too far and discover that everyone wants what they have.

Seasoned with outrageous humor and sultry romances, Along The Road To Key West carries you through one wild adventure after another. This time, Kansas and Will are forced to wrest veracity and lies from con artists, divine hustlers, and political power brokers while trying to stay one step ahead of a persistent assembly of very bad guys with guns. In the process, from Key West, into the Caribbean, and back to America’s heartland, our inadvertent heroes gather a bizarre collage of friends and enemies – from a whacked-out, one-eyed pilot, and a mystical Rastaman, to a ruthless problem-solver for a prominent religious sect, a zany flimflamming sociopath, and a Cuban intelligence agent. In the end, it all comes down to a frantic gamble – to save far more than the truth. So pour yourself a margarita and settle back. You’re in for a high intensity Caribbean carnival ride!

NOTE: Much of this book was originally published as a novel of mine called, “The Truthmaker.” But with the growing popularity of my “Road To Key West” series, I decided to rewrite it and publish it as “Along The Road To Key West.” – Michael Reisig

Buy @ Amazon

Genre - Caribbean Humor, Adventure

Rating – PG

More details about the author

Connect with Michael Reisig through Facebook

SAGA OF THE NINE #Excerpt: Area 38 by Mikey D. B. #Area38 #Dystopian #Thriller

“Good morning everybody, I am Professor Lisa Rodgers and this is Governmental Theory 3410.”

“Have you ever had her before?”  Mica quietly asks Marian.

“Nope, but I heard she is really good.  She’s not very popular among the faculty, being more conservative than most.  It’s why I signed up for this class actually.  I like having a different perspective on stuff like this.  Plus she’s my aunt.”

“I’m assuming every one of you in here belong here.  If not, please leave quietly.”

No one budges.

“Good.  Let’s get started then.  Does anyone know when the law stating that a President of the United States could only serve two terms was discontinued?”  As she expects, nobody raises their hand.  “It was in 2020.  Okay.  Let’s see if you know this piece of historical information: Who here has heard of the electoral college?”

Very few know the answer but no one raises their hand.

“That was not a rhetorical question.”

Marian shoots her hand into the air.

“Yes.”  Still no expression, despite Marian’s enthusiasm.

“Wasn’t it how we elected the president in the late 20^th century?”

“Yes it was and it even lasted a few years in this century.  Do you know how it worked by any chance?”

Marian, impressed with herself, nudges Mica and nods her head like a boss.

“Miss?”

“Marian.”  Mica nudges her back and points to Professor Rodgers.

“Sorry,” Marian begins to blush.  “Can you repeat the question?”

Despite the scattered chuckles, Rodgers masks her embarrassment for her niece.  “How did the electoral college work?”

Stumped, Marian shrugs her shoulders.  “I don’t know, Professor.”

Mica is the only one who reluctantly raises his hand.

“One person.  That’s more than I expected.  Yes, go ahead Mister…”

“Rouge.  Mica Rouge.”

“Go on,” Professor Rodgers says.

“Well it’s kind of complicated,” he begins, “but I guess in a nutshell, every state had a certain number of votes that went towards electing a president.”

“How many votes did each state get?”  Professor Rodgers asks.

“It depended.”

“On what?  What determined the number of votes a state got?”  She asks again, trying to get to the root of it all.

“The number of Senators and members of The House of Representatives.”  He really wishes that somebody else knew this stuff.  He looks to Marian for some support but she just shrugs her shoulders again.  As soon as Mica turns back to Professor Rodgers, Marian smiles, charmed by the man sitting beside her.

“And how did a presidential nominee win the votes of a state?”  Just a few more questions and the Professor will get her point across.

Mica picks his brain for this rarely used information.  “Wasn’t it by a popular vote of the people in that state?  All the registered voters voted and whichever candidate got the most votes won all of the state votes?  It was a winner take all system.”
 

“Yes, that is exactly how it worked.  Well kind of.  It was a winner take all system in forty-eight of the fifty states.  Maine and Nebraska were the sole exceptions.  Why did we have a system like this and not the system we currently have?”  She asks Mica, but the question is opened to the class.  

“Doesn’t our system of Congress being the ones who elect a president work better?”

Mica doesn’t wait for someone to take the answer; he knows it and he knows exactly where the professor is going with this.  “It’s more efficient yes, but less democratic.”

Professor Rodgers is slightly impressed with this young man.  Maybe Carter was right about him.  

“How so?” she asks.  “We elect our Senators and Representatives.  The idea of a Republic is to elect officials who we think will put our ideas forward and into action.”

“Yes, but it comes down to checks and balances,” Mica argues, finally getting to the point Professor Rodgers was aiming for.  “If Congress is the one to elect the president, they can skew the results, creating a lot more room for corruption in the system.  They are held less accountable by us, the people.”  Mumbles and silent gasps fill the room.

“He has a point.”  The Professor patiently waits for the class to calm down.  There are more and finer details to this law, she thinks, but he’s brought the discussion to where she was directing it.  “Senators are now in office until they die, which wasn’t always the case.  The amendment that changed the way we elect a president also changed the way we elect Congress.  Before we turned to the election system that we have, there were people trying to create a constitutional amendment where when we the people voted, the person with the most votes won, period, in what is called a ‘popular election.’  They wanted the voice of the people to be heard from the people themselves, not Congress and not from electoral votes.

“In 1824, 1876, 1888, and 2000 all those who lost the election won the popular vote and had the most citizens voting for them.  Seems pretty unjust, huh?  The Electoral College was like a popular vote mixed with a congressional vote, but instead of being a democratic process it became more of a game, some might say, to win the states and not the people.  But that’s politics for you.

“Back to what Mr. Rouge was saying about checks and balances and how a lack of that can create corruption.  There are some that argue that the idea behind checks and balances is inefficient.  It slows down progression.  Too many people’s opinions in the political ring,” Rodgers folds her hands, “can cause the system to lock up.”

“And that’s a problem because?” a student asks.

“Because the government can shutdown like it has, time and time again.  So,” Professor Rodgers continues, “people tried to simplify the election process in hopes of simplifying the checks and balances, but they went about it in the opposite way than most were hoping.  Instead of having a popular vote from the people, the voting changed to Congress, giving more power to the Government and less to the people.”

“Why?”  Marian asks herself.

“Exactly.”  Professor Rodgers says, overhearing Marian’s whispered question.  “So why do I bring this all up?”

Change affects everyone and it is no different for Jackson. Living in Area 38 for as long as he can remember, he knows of no better way to exist than under the tyrannical rule of Christopher Stone, son of Stewart Stone from The Nine of The United Governmental Areas, aka The UGA. This all takes a dramatic turn when Jackson finds a red, metal box buried in his yard, filled with illegal artifacts—journals, a Bible, CDs, etc.—that are from a man of whom he has no recollection of: Mica Rouge.

 The year is 2036 and Mica, unlike Jackson, does know of a better way of life but is torn apart as he sees his country, The United States of America, crumbling from within by group known as The Political Mafia. The Mafia has infiltrated levels upon levels of governmental resources and it is up to Mica and a vigilante group known as The USA Division to stop them and their dark Utopian vision. To their demise, and at the country's expense, The Division fails and has no choice but to watch The Constitution dissolve and transform into The UGA.

In a final stand, having not given up hope, Mica and what is left of The Division, give one final fight in Colorado, or better known as Area 38. However, all is lost as The Division is betrayed by one of their own, Stewart Stone. Mica is left with no choice but to hide in exile, leaving what little history he can of himself and the great United States of America, with his wife, long time friends, and newly born son in hopes that they will one day finish what he could not.

Jackson, having found this legacy twenty-seven years later, decides to start the war that will end The Nine, and he with an outcast group known as The Raiders, begins his fight with Christopher Stone in Area 38. Filled with betrayal, unity, despair, hope, hate and love Area 38 follows both Mica and Jackson in their attempts to restore what they believe to be true freedom, and where one fails, the other rises to the seemingly impossible challenge.

Buy Now @ Amazon

Genre – Dystopian Thriller

Rating – PG13

More details about the author

Connect with Mikey D. B. on Facebook & Twitter

Website www.mikeydb.com