Welcome, Mike. Tell us how much of
yourself you write into your characters.
I suppose that depends on the characters. Some of them I've
infused characteristics about myself. Others aren't like me at all. I actually
find it easier to take mannerisms, interests and experiences from people I
know, and work them into different characters in my stories. I'll give you an
example. In my latest novel, Love's Second Chance, there is a receptionist
at a church, Janice, who loves plants. And when I say she loves plants, she has
them all over her desk, is always pruning and misting them, and tells anyone
who'll listen how they're doing. My wife is also a plant lover, though not to the
same extent as Janice. She often visits local nurseries to see what might
interest her, or go into our backyard to prune, plant, or pick the fruit of something
there. That is the kind of thing that resonates with people, and so I borrowed
her interest and incorporated it into Janice's personality. The more real
things characters do in my opinion, the more they become real in the reader's
mind.
What is the quirkiest
thing you have ever done?
I'm not sure how to define quirky, since we're all quirky in
our own way, but one of the funnest things I've ever done was back in 1983. It
was the year Return of the Jedi came out, and like so many other Star Wars fans, wanted all the answers
the second movie left us hanging with. Rather than risk being told before
seeing the movie myself, a friend and I went to the theater the day before and
stood in line all night. Mind you, this was years before the Phantom Menace came out, where people
waited in line for weeks before that film came out. I guess we were ahead of
our time in that regard. Anyway, we had a great time talking with people around
us, and even sang happy birthday to someone we didn't know. When the movie
finally started, the theater erupted in fierce applause. Suffice it to say, it
was a great time had by all.
When did you first
discover that you were a writer?
I think writers are born as writers. Either they are or they
aren't in my opinion. Writers have to write. They can't help it. I know that's
true in my case since I had little interest in books or reading growing up. My
interest was more in the area of movies and television. Since I'm a visual
learner, that would make a lot of sense. As someone who enjoys stories, I found
myself writing short stories from my earliest memories for my own enjoyment--that
was the writer in me coming out despite myself. I never had any intention of
getting them published, but I believe we are all born with God-given gifts,
infused into our personalities for the benefit of others. Shortly after high
school, I suddenly had the idea I could write a novel. That was truly a
surprise for me, given my background, but thought I would give it a shot. It
was a science fiction story based upon the premise 1000 alien ships were
presently headed toward Earth for the sole purpose of destroying it, and we had
little chance of stopping them. With that simple idea, I spent the next several
months fleshing it out. As you can imagine, it was pretty bad, and I worked on
it off and on for the next 28 years, honing down the story until it was in
publishable shape. My perseverance paid off, and I eventually found a publisher
for When the Sky Fell in 2009.
Tell us the range of
the kinds of books you enjoy reading.
Oddly enough, I prefer to read non-fiction books over
fiction. I have a love of history, and often find myself drawn toward important
figures from the past. I am currently reading a book about Ireland 's
history, and the famous sayings of Abraham Lincoln.
How do you keep your
sanity in our run, run, run world?
One of the temptations for writers is finding their identity
in their stories. If people like what they've written, they feel validated as a
writer. If people have a negative opinion of their stories, they feel rejected.
It's only natural. I find it's good to have interests other than writing. As I
previously mentioned, I enjoy all things historical. I am also married with two
children, so that takes up a lot of my time. The best way to keep my sanity is
knowing my self-worth is not tied up in my achievements, whatever they might
be, but in my relationship with God. The things we do here will have an ending,
whereas the things we do for Him will last eternity. The stories I write are
meant to glorify and honor Him, and if I can touch another life for Him through
my novels, then that's all the accolade I need.
How do you choose
your characters’ names?
It's kind of a mix for me. There are times when they just
pop into my head, such as Dana Rogers in my next release. It doesn't any
particular meaning for me. It just sounded like the right name the main
character should have. On the other hand, I have included names that manifest a
character trait in some way, something the reader I hope would pick up on. For
example, in my previous novel, After the
Cross, you have four main characters (two protagonists and two antagonists)
who are searching for the cross of Jesus, whom they believe may still exist.
The central character in the story is Colton Foster, whose name
"Foster" was used to show that relationships are important to him, and
tries to mend broken relationships. The linguist he works with is Mallory
Windom. Like the name "Wind" suggests, she is a free spirit, who
plays by her own rules. Then you have the two villains in the story, the first
being Demetrius Malotetnev. The beginning part of his last name,
"Mal" literally means bad in English and other European language. The
other villain is Vladimir Zarco, and any character with the last name beginning
with the letter "Z" is automatically assumed to be evil, which he is.
What is the
accomplishment that you are most proud of?
Like so many others at the time, my family, the Devanys,
emigrated from Ireland
in the 1850s. They eventually found their way to San
Francisco , and then to a small farming community east of Oakland called Dublin .
A lot of Irish immigrants ended up there, hence the town's name. They were one
of the pioneer families of that community, but over time they either died or
moved to other parts of the Bay Area. Over the years their historical importance
and contributions were forgotten, until I had the chance to write about the
town's history. This gave me the opportunity to tell everyone about the Devanys,
along with many other pioneer families who had similarly been forgotten like mine.
A few years ago, the city of Dublin
wanted to build a park that would commemorate one the pioneer families that
hadn't been recognized like some of the others. It happened to be near where my
Great-great-grandfather Michael Devany had his farm, and so they named the
park, Devany Square .
My family was honored by the mayor in the opening ceremony, and I couldn't have
been more proud of my heritage than on that day. Now the name Devany will be a
permanent part of Dublin 's
history.
If you were an
animal, which one would you be, and why?
I'm a dog guy. They're loyal, protective, and can be trained
to do all sorts of things. That's me in a nutshell.
What is your favorite
food?
Chocolate cake with chocolate frosting. Costco has a seven
layer version that is the best I've ever had. My wife's apple pie, however,
comes in at a close second.
What is the problem
with writing that was your greatest roadblock, and how did you overcome it?
That's hard to say. There are so many obstacles every author
faces. In my case, I would say it is different than for most writers. I enjoy
the process of co-authoring, since I find it is extremely helpful collaborating
with someone just as invested in the quality of the story as I am. But that
also presents a whole other set of issues that need to be addressed. The
creative process is very personal, and some writers have a hard time receiving
negative feedback from another writer. But that is exactly what happened when
Brandon Barr and I collaborated on our novels, as you would expect. We often had
differences of opinion about the story structure or the way a sentence should
be written, or the kinds of personality traits we wanted for a particular
character. In the end, the overall vision for the story is what matters,
and to make it as engaging as possible. That always trumps the other’s
feelings about what to leave in or cut out, or the hundreds of other decisions
that must be addressed along the way. Usually, when one of us shared our
reasons for why we wrote a scene a particular way for example, especially when
he felt pretty strongly about it, the other would usually defer to him, and
then we'd move on. In the end, the story ended up being that much stronger
because we both embrace the collaborative process.
Tell us about the
featured book?
As I mentioned in an earlier question, the title of it is Love's
Second Chance. As the name implies, it is a story about second chances, second
chances for those who have experienced loss, and for those things we hold most
dear. The story's central character, Dana Rogers, learns this powerful truth as
she serves as the pastor's assistant at New Covenant Christian Church, the
center of community life in the town of Fair
Haven for the past two hundred years. There she has
caught the eye of Evan Johnson, a highly successful real estate agent, but the
tragic death of her fiancé has wounded her so deeply she vows never to open her
heart again to any man, including Evan. Despite her resistance he helps her work
through the pain of her loss, and for the first time in years, considers the
possibility she can love again. In a stunning turn of events, New Covenant
Church suffers a
devastating setback, one that threatens to undue everything Dana has worked to save,
including her budding relationship with Evan.
Please give us the
first page of the book.
Men, we make out stand here, I read, and then paused for
effect.
"Oooh," a child in the front row said aloud,
followed by, "that's cool."
"That's right," a boy of eight next to him echoed,
"you give it to those redcoats."
A mixture of snickers and muted laughter filtered through
the classroom.
"Now, now children," Miss Honeywell said in a firm
voice while she rapped the desk with her knuckles, "we promised Miss
Rogers we'd be on our best behavior. It's not polite to talk when someone else
is reading."
The room fell silent in an instant.
I offered the class a soft smile and tilted my head. Many of
the students picked up on my subtle show of empathy, and smiled in returned. It
always warmed my heart whenever we connected like this, and never minded it
when they unconsciously acted out or verbally participated in the story. Seldom
do people have an opportunity to capture a child’s imagination, and I counted
myself fortunate Miss Honeywell gave me that chance every other week.
I leaned forward. Men, we make out stand here, I read with
the same enthusiasm as before, and then turned the page.
All thirty pair of eyes hung on every word.
Captain Gretham pulled out his saber from its scabbard and
waived it in the air above his blue tri-fold hat. Behind him, a band of motley-looking
soldiers, their coats torn and pants mud-splattered, formed into ranks two
deep. Their steely eyes, witnesses of a dozen battles fought before this day,
fixed on the swelling British lines across the grassy field two hundred yards
away.
"I pray we see victory this glorious morn, for I call
upon the Lord that Ye be with us on the side of righteousness against our most
determined enemy." Gretham spun around and faced the men under his command,
his breath visible in the cold morning air. "What say you?"
"Victory!" a voice cried out, followed by another,
until everyone within earshot joined in with such fervor, one might mistake it
for a church revival.
How can readers find
you on the Internet?
The best way to find me is on my website: www.mikelynchbooks.com
I would also like to thank you for this opportunity to share
a little about myself and my latest
novel with those who follow you on your website. Keep up the good work.
Thank you, Mike, for sharing your book with us.
Readers, here’s a link to the book. By using it when you order, you help support this blog.
Love's Second Chance
Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory. (Comments containing links may be subject to removal by blog owner.)
Void where prohibited; the odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. Entering the giveaway is considered a confirmation of eligibility on behalf of the enterer in accord with these rules and any pertaining local/federal/international laws.
The only notification you’ll receive is the winner post on this blog. So be sure to check back a week from Saturday to see if you won. You will have 4 weeks from the posting of the winners to claim your book.
If you’re reading this on Google +, Feedblitz, Facebook, Linkedin, or Amazon, please come to the blog to leave your comment if you want to be included in the drawing. Here’s a link.
Http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com
18 comments:
Would love to win and review this book. I have never read any of your books but tis sounds good. Thanks Lena for the review.
jrs362 at hotmail dot com
Another new author to me and this book sounds very interesting. Would love to read it.
Blessings,
Jo from Southern Arizona
azladijo(at)aol(dot)com
Thank you for giving me a chance to win your book. I have not read any thing you have wrote, but i always like to try new authors.I like your cover. God bless you.
Norma Stanforth from Ohio
I would love to read this book.
California
lkish77123 at gmail dot com
I'm looking forward to reading LOVE'S SECOND CHANCE.
I love how you choose names, especially for those deserving of a "Z" name.
Mary P
QLD AUSTRALIA
I enjoyed reading the article and getting to know more about Mike Lynch.
Please enter me in the giveaway.
Thanks!
Janet E.
von1janet(at)gmail(dot)com
Florida
Hello everyone. Nice to meet you. Your positive responses to the interview means a lot to me. I enjoyed writing the book, which is quite quirky and humorous at times. It is my hope this is a story people enjoy reading.
If anyone has questions for me, or would like to say hello, you can also send me an e-mail directly: kmlynch158@sbcglobal.net
Mike
Enter me!!!
Thanks for the giveaway and God Bless!!!
Sarah Richmond
N.C.
Thanks for the opportunity to get this book.
Quirky and humorous is always good...
Lyndie Blevins
Duncanville Tx
Enter me!!
Sharon Richmond
Blanch,NC.
sharonruth126@gmail.com
Hello Lyndie. Hello Sarah. Best of luck on the book contest.
Sounds like a very good book.
Beth from IA
Beth,
I may be a little biased, but I think it's a wonderful story.
Mike
I would like to win and read your book LOVE'S SECOND CHANCE. You are a new author to me. sharon, san diego
Would love to read this book.Thanks for the chance to win it.Jackie Tessnair,N.C.
Sounds like a good read, I would love to win it. And thanks for the great interview.
Juanita Nobles, DeSoto, MO
mjnobles (at) Charter (dot) net.
http://juanitanobles.blogspot.com
One of the things that makes for a good interview are good questions. Lena's were ones I enjoyed answering, which made for better answers.
Mike
This sounds intriguing! I'm in MN.
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