An Interview with Vampire Fantasy Author,
Michael Holman
Q1: When did you know you wanted to be a writer?
A1: In 2009, I watched a DVD
in my collection where a supporting actor asked the lead one "So, did ya
ever write that book?" It wasn't just the reply of "No.
No, I never got around to it," that galvanized my decision, it was the
facial expression too, the haunted expression which accompanied the
dialogue. The idea came and smacked me upside my (literary) head:
if I write my own stories and DON'T become the next best-seller on that
New York Times List, so what? What's the worst that can happen, my former
English teachers from Salem-Keizer School District 24J converge on my position
so they can pelt me with chalkboard erasers, perhaps chase me around with
brandished wooden rulers? Somehow, I doubt that, and I've got to at least
give creative writing another shot.
Q2: Is there anything difficult about writing or publishing?
A2: I go through periods
where so many ideas zing through my head at once it's hard to choose one
central idea for a story and follow up with the process of writing it, then
there's also the polar opposite difficulty, when "Stand By" may as
well scroll across my forehead, because my brain is doing a dead battery
impression--click, click, click.
But even worse is publishing.
I'll NEVER, repeat NEVER use ANY publish-on-demand company AGAIN. The
cost is too high, and the return is too low. Hindsight is always 20/20.
Q3: Who is your favorite author?
A3: This response may look
odd, coming as it does from a paranormal romance fiction author, but I gotta go
with Tom Clancy. Readers lost a great author when he passed away.
Q4: Favorite book?
A4: "Patriot
Games".
Q5: Do you have a favorite quote?
A5: When bad men combine, the
good must associate; else they will fall one by one, an unpitied sacrifice in a
contemptible struggle. -- EDMUND BURKE
Q6: Your books deal with vampires and humans. What do you
like about vampires? If you had the choice, would you become one?
A6: I suppose the main thing
I like about vampires is their supernatural strength. So many times, I've
seen jerks who are just plain arrogant and lazy, with no disabled placard
visible (which is mandatory by the Oregon Revised Statutes, by the way) park in
designated zones for people like my sister Tricia, who have a medical need to
park close to buildings. I'd like to heave vehicles of scoff-laws into
the Willamette River, then say something like, "Dang, your warranty
expired? Whoa, that's a bummer, dude." I wouldn't want to
become a vampire, though--when my time's up, my time's up. I just don't
see the benefit of roaming the Earth if my family and friends can't. Plus,
every race I've ever run (and there have been a LOT) start in the morning.
Q7: What are you working on now?
A7: I'm alternating between
writing short stories (I've written four in less than a month) and writing my
third novel entitled "Escalation". On February 20, a bit more
than a month from now, I'll attend a writer's workshop in Portland
Oregon. In addition to the all-day conference, I'll also have an
opportunity to pitch my paranormal horror/thriller about a supernatural British
World War 1 tank versus a telekinetic guy having a for-keeps confrontation in
Silver Falls State Park to a literary agent for ten minutes. I'm bringing
a one-page synopsis of the story with me, and I'm considering offering the
agent I speak with a copy of it when my pitch is over. I'm thinking that
I'll put those short stories in one compilation book when I have more of them
written. I haven't made a final decision what title to put on the cover
of that collection, but I'm kicking around the idea of using "Lace 'Em Up,
Rock And Roll".
Q8: Do you have a specific writing style?
A8: My first two novels,
"Resolve And Retribution" followed by its sequel "Returns And
Reunions" were both written in first person, but to make
"Escalation" work, I'm writing that book in third person. Talk
about an adjustment...wow.
Q9: Is there anything that you want to say to your readers?
A9: After I finished
"Resolve And Retribution", my brother-in-law took me aside and
confided that he usually doesn't even bother reading fictional
material--doesn't have time for it in most circumstances--but once he'd read
the first page, he was drawn further in. He said he had to see what would
happen next.
Ideally, that's what I'd like EVERY
reader to experience, no matter what the plot is. I also want them to
take sides, get emotionally invested. But, because all are unique, I
won't please everyone. That's impossible. What I CAN do is make my
best-faith effort to write a story that's capable of enticing most to keep
reading word to word, line to line, page to page. You have my promise I
won't forget what it's like to be a reader that wants to relax for awhile, escape
into a world of imagination, and enjoy a story so much the clock gets ignored.
Q10: If you could go back in time, what time period would you go
to? What would you do there?
A10: I'd go back to the
1950's and test drive every DeSoto, Edsel, Nash, Studebaker, and Packard I
could persuade dealerships to let me get behind the wheel of...maybe swing by a
few drive-ins and watch the pretty car hops work their magic on those roller
skates as I make those malted milk shakes last as long as possible.
Naturally, at some point, I'd have
to bust out my Nikes and go for one doozy of a training run.
About Michael's Latest novel, Returns and Reunions:
At the conclusion of "Resolve And Retribution",
Ben declares Tabitha, Jane, and himself are all finishers, and that's true
enough. But Tabitha has another enemy, Victoria, who wasn't there when
Lilith got neutralized in Bush Park. The problem is, Victoria has access
to alien technology she intends to use for the creation of a new, human-hostile
Council of Thirteen. There's no question of the traitor's intent of
carrying out her ancient Roman vampire mistress' ultimate plan, because, as Ben
knows, an alien serum Lilith obtained is already in Tabitha's bloodstream,
thanks to the evil undead pair attacking his girlfriend right in front of him
to send their message. Well, Ben has a message, too: Bring on the
next finish line. He's seen how blatantly wicked Victoria is, and he's
not the same human who once balked at terminating a vampire who wanted him dead.
He knows what the grim score is once Victoria rejects his attempt at making
peace. That's when a line gets drawn in the sand of "Returns And
Reunions". There will be no more quarter asked nor given. The
vampire civil war brought by Lilith to Ben's home turf in Oregon's Willamette
Valley isn't over. And...there are those who won't walk the Earth by the
time it's done, human and vampire alike.
Author Biography:
Michael W. Holman is a bachelor who
has spent his life in the Pacific Northwest. He lives in Salem, Oregon.
His favorite activities include distance running, reading and writing fun,
short fiction for FanStory.com when more serious, longer writing projects need
to be set aside briefly for his own sanity, and playing strategy board games
with his nearby immediate family members on Friday nights. His second
book, "Returns And Reunions", is the sequel to his first novel,
"Resolve And Retribution".
Connect with Michael:
Twitter: Michael Holman @runnernovelist
Facebook: Michael Holman (Works at ODOT, lives in
Salem OR)