Mike I am so honored to have you here at the Pen to Paper Blog.  Your books sound so amazing.  Well let’s get started.

 

                       

 

Tell us something about you and your books.

 

I retired from the Air Force in 2007 following a 25-year career as a Special Agent with the Office of Special Investigations (OSI).  For reference, OSI is the Air Force equivalent of NCIS.  I held 13 different assignments throughout the world, among which were five tours as a Commander of various units, to include two Air Force Squadrons and a Wing.  I have extensive experience as a criminal investigator and a counterintelligence and counterterrorism specialist.  In my last assignment, I was Commander of OSI Region 8 with responsibility for all of Air Force Space Command.

 

My debut novel, Child Finder, received the Silver Medal for Fiction in the 2009 Military Writers Society of America’s Annual Awards program.  I write mystery/thrillers with a paranormal twist.  My protagonist is a man whose deep faith guides him through his page-turning perils.  I’m writing a series, the Child Finder Trilogy, which has a light, somewhat edgy spiritual theme…it is not typical Christian fiction.  But fans of that genre as well as mystery and thriller enthusiasts thoroughly enjoy it!

 

Do you have any advice for other writers?

 

My best advice is twofold: learn the business end of writing and publishing and approach your projects with this in mind.  The art and passion elements of writing are important, but in order to publish, you must understand how the industry itself works.  Secondly, be persistent and patient.  Landing an agent or a publishing contract won’t happen overnight.  It may even take years, but it will never happen if you become frustrated and give up.

 

What are your books about?

 

My debut novel, Child Finder, introduces my trilogy’s protagonist, Major Patrick O’Donnell, an Air Force Special Agent assigned to the Pentagon.  He begins experiencing haunting nightmares about children who have been abducted and murdered – before their bodies are found.  It quickly becomes apparent he has a special psychic gift the government is all too eager to exploit. He is drawn into a secret black world community, overseen by the FBI, which leverages his skills to solve child abductions.  But he soon discovers this black world has an even darker underbelly, when those close to him begin to die mysteriously…and his own family gets trapped in a twisted web of government intrigue.

 

When Child Finder launched in June, the Library Journal placed it on its Summer Reads List and called it a “compelling debut novel,” and “A real find.”  I was thrilled that such a prestigious publication would give me this honor.

 

My second book, Child Finder: Resurrection, launches next month, and continues my protagonist’s unusual journey.  It has been a year and a half since Agent O’Donnell left the TOP SECRET child rescue program after it went horribly off-track, resulting in murder and endangering his family.  And just when he thinks he’s comfortably put this painful past behind him, he receives a call from his mentor.  The murky, shadowy TOP SECRET community where he once was center-stage has been revised, revamped, resurrected!  The government needs his psychic skills more than ever.  A sick, twisted, menacing child killer is on the loose, and no one but Pat can stop him. But Agent O’Donnell soon discovers this new nemesis is more than he bargained for.  Nothing can prepare him for the psychotic genius he must fight…and the life and death cat-and-mouse game that entraps him! Once again, Pat must call upon his faith and strong spiritual connection with God to sustain and guide him, especially during his darkest hours as he battles…pure evil.

 

In the final book of the Child Finder Trilogy, Child Finder: Revelation, Special Agent O’Donnell is dispatched to Korea on a TOP SECRET mission to crack the disturbing abduction of a high ranking U.S. official’s children.  What he discovers about their sudden disappearance — especially where they have been taken — shocks the foundation of international relations. But more intriguing is what makes these particular children so special.  What O’Donnell learns about them, and himself, involves sensitive government secrets he regrets ever knowing.  These new revelations will rock his faith, his concept of life, and his understanding of his place in the universe.  Think Da Vinci code but with a very cool Vatican.

 

                             

 

 

Where do you get your information or ideas for your books?

 

My life’s experiences inspire my writing.  My hero blends elements of my own personality – deep faith, family values, and love of justice.  At the same time, my experiences as a USAF Special Agent served to provide me some rich perspective to give my plot danger and excitement, mystery and intrigue!

 

What promotional ideas can you give to other beginning authors?

 

Take advantage of all the Internet has to offer.  Network with authors and publishers via social sites like FaceBook and MySpace.  Develop a robust website that is based on a blog platform and keep the content rich and new.  This will increase an author’s visibility and search engine ranking, making the author more discoverable.

 

What advice would you give to somebody trying to get a literary agent?

 

Target agents with laser-like precision.  Search for agents who specialize in your unique niche or genre, and query using the precise guidelines the agent requires.  There are many good books out there which tell you what an agent wants in a query, but always check the agent’s website for changes and updates to what the books say.

 

As a child what did you want to do when you grew up?

 

I wanted to be an FBI agent and a writer.  I guess I accomplished both but with a different federal law enforcement agency.  I’ve been blessed to live both dreams.

 

As a writer and published author how do you feel about e-publishing

 

I’ve embraced it as the way of the future.  My publisher is readying my first novel for Kindle, so it should be up on Amazon in that format soon.

 

What advice would you give to other aspiring authors about getting their work placed with a big publishing company?

 

Get a great literary agent!  It sounds simple, but it is difficult.  I won’t mince words.  A good agent, with solid publishing house connections, can help land the big publishing house contracts.  It is not impossible, but highly improbable, to do so without an agent.

 

Please give us a list of all of your books currently available.

 

Child Finder is currently available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.  I also sell signed copies of it via my website: www.childfinder.us.  Child Finder: Resurrection will publish next month, and Child Finder: Revelation will be out around December 2010.

 

How long does it take you to do research on the books you write?

 

Not too long.  Most of what I write comes from my own experiences and perspective as a federal agent.  My stories have loose historical back stories (like 9/11 and the Iraq War) so I do some basic research to ensure I keep certain facts accurate.

 

What inspired you to become a writer?

 

I’m an old storyteller at heart.  When they were younger, I would put my kids to bed each night by asking them to give me a random story character.  Within minutes I would craft a totally new story for them based upon the characters they selected.  For added fun, they would tell me to make it silly or scary…kind of like selecting an instant genre!

 

How did you go about getting published?

 

I started out on the traditional route of trying to find an agent.  I spent a good 18 months on the hunt, receiving dozens of rejection letters, and some occasional advice from an agent (which I followed graciously).  A number of authors with whom I networked suggested I search for a small publisher willing to consider me without an agent.  I eventually found TotalRecall Publications, a Houston-based publisher who offered me a three book contract.

 

Where do you do most of your writing?

 

Don’t laugh…in my pajamas with a laptop in bed sipping coffee in the morning!  I’m a morning person, so my thoughts are at their clearest, sharpest point in the morning.  Things are also much quieter then.

 

What do you enjoy most about your writing?

 

Making my characters come to life.  That’s why I love the trilogy idea…I get to keep my protagonist, his family, and his band of friends alive in each book.  In some respects, I sort of “mentor” my hero’s career just as I would mentor younger OSI Special Agents when I was carrying a badge.

Well Mike, I have really enjoyed you insights about publishing.  Hope to have you back at the Pen to Paper again real soon.

 

Walk in harmony,

Melinda

3 Comments »

1. 

   Hi Mike,

   Thank you for the copy of Child Finder! Believe it or not, I HAVE started it! Really cool, and interesting, to learn the “innards” of some of these agencies in Washington.

   Best,
   MM

   Comment by Miss Mae — November 29, 2009 @ 1:52 pm

2. 

   [...] Pen to Paper [...]

   Pingback by Mike Angley's Guest-Blogs With Two Wonderful Authors | Mike Angley — December 1, 2009 @ 12:00 am

3. 

   
   

   PillSpot.org. Canadian Health&Care.No prescription online pharmacy.Best quality drugs.Special Internet Prices. Online Pharmacy. Order pills online…

   Buy:Amoxicillin.Female Cialis.Lasix.Buspar.Ventolin.Advair.Wellbutrin SR.Female Pink Viagra.Lipitor.Prozac.Aricept.Lipothin.Acomplia.Seroquel.Nymphomax.Benicar.Zocor.SleepWell.Zetia.Cozaar….

   Trackback by MITCHELL — July 15, 2010 @ 5:36 pm

RSS feed for comments on this post. TrackBack URL

Leave a comment

Name (required)

Mail (will not be published) (required)

Website