Mike H. David interview

AUTHOR INTERVIEW

A little introduction:

Hi! My name is Mike H. David, and I am an independent suspense/mystery/thriller author.  I wish that I could say that writing is my full-time occupation, but unfortunately, I haven’t reached level just yet—maybe someday.  I have been a building contractor for the past twenty-five years.  I spend a lot of my day swinging a hammer and wondering if I will have time to sit down a write my stories  when the work day is finished.

When did your love of books begin?

Wow, that’s kind of hard to say.  I mean, I’ve been reading all sort of things since I was a child.  In my teens, most of my reading was in comic books.  I admired the way a creative team could collaborate on a project to put together an exciting story in one little magazine.  I guess I really began reading “grown up” books around the time I graduated high school.  I fell in love with books from authors like Greg Iles, Karin Slaughter, and Harlan Coben—these authors pretty well set the stage for the kind of books I wanted to write.

When did you start to have the wish to become an author?

I’ve been making up stories and writing them down since I was in grade school.  I actually have a large box of short stories and weird one-off things I’ve put together but will probably never see the light of day again.  I think my real desire for writing and publishing my stories came around the age of eighteen.  I had this idea for a story that I felt extra passionate about, so I decided to take my time in writing it down.  It’s still a work in progress even today, but that one story bloomed into an entire drive to create.  Now, everything that I write, I do it with the intention that I want people to read it.

How have you found the process for becoming an author?

I’m not trying to brag at all here, but I do usually find the process to be pretty simple.  You just write.  Okay, maybe it’s not that easy.  I mean, first you must find the time that allows peace and quiet for you to focus, then you have to actually have a story, and create characters and personalities.  It’s real work, but it’s enjoyable work.  I’ve had days where I can sit down and tap out 5-10 thousand words and just feel like I could keep going if there were only a few more hours in the day, but I’ve also woke up with all the intentions to write and instead find myself banging my head on my desk trying to shake the words out.  For me, right now anyway (while I still have ideas), I’ll say that writing is easy enough.  The hard part is the publishing and promoting.  If I could even get a handle of what works flawlessly, this whole writing thing might take off!

What would you say to those wanting to become an author?

Go for it!  Start writing your story, and don’t quit until the story is finished.  Don’t be afraid to take a break from it and start a new story—sometimes you just need to find your voice.  The level of joy that I get from creating stories is kind of hard to describe, but if you experience that same joy when writing, it’s all worth it, right?  There are going to be some people that won’t support you, or even worse, they may tear you down—but don’t let them get to you.  Keep in mind, even the best authors in the world have a few one star reviews.  It’s impossible to please everyone.  Also, it is a slow process.  Be patient.  If you write it and put it out there, eventually you will find your readers. 

Tell us about your book/books:

I write mystery/suspense/thrillers.  My first book, The Gouge, has been out for about seven months now.  It tells the story of Carson Bates who ran away from Cypress Creek to hide from his dark and troubled past—his father a serial killer dubbed as “The Man in the Woods”—a nod to some small-town folk lore.  Twenty-two years after the brutal killings, a simple text message draws Carson back to Cypress Creek.  He has a dark secret, but he isn’t the only one in that small town who is hiding something.

I’m thrilled with how The Gouge turned out, and of course overwhelmed by the response that it’s received.  It may not be best-seller status, but I think it’s turning a few heads.  You can find The Gouge on Amazon here:  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08YF7R1NL   You can read it for Free with a Kindle Unlimited membership!

I’m currently working another book, The Blue Hole.  I hope to be finished with the first draft before the end of the year and shooting for a Spring 2022 release.  It’s taken me a lot longer than I thought it would to get this one finished, but I believe in the end it will be worth the wait.

What do you love about the writing/reading community?

The support.  When I first started on this journey about a year ago, I really went into it thinking that every author I ran across online was going to look at me like some sort of competition—as if any attention or book sales I gained was a reader I was taking from them.  I did not expect other writers to be my greatest supporters.  Boy, was I surprised!  I found people that were more than willing to read what I was writing, give me helpful pointers, (not just critiques) and then when it was time to hit the publish button, everyone was incredibly supportive in helping me spread the word about my book.  The writing/reading communities have really rekindled my hope in humanity.

If you could say anything to your readers what would it be?

Read my book!  No, really, I just hope that you enjoy my stories.  I hope that they make you think and light a flame of imagination within you.  I write the kind of stories that I would enjoy reading, and if you enjoy them also, chances are that you and I would get along.  Most of all, THANK YOU for your support!  It means so much for you to put forward your hard-earned money to read something I created.  Finally, yeah, Read my book!

Where can people connect with you?

I try to be as connectable as possible online but stretching myself across too many social media platforms tends to take me away from the more enjoyable things in life.  You can find me on Twitter under the handle @MHDavid8 .  Also, feel free to send me a friend request on Goodreads.com.  Currently, you won’t find me on facebook (I’ve been hacked too many times in the past), so if you think you found me on there, it’s not me.  Finally, don’t forget to check out my blog where I post book reviews, writing tips, and updates on my own work:  mhdavid@blogspot.com