Q1. Hello Sir, can you please introduce yourself? Readers would love to know more about you.
I am an American author and poet, most known for my Mike Check column. Over the years, I have done dozens of celebrity interviews, as well as hundreds of music reviews. The weekly Mike Check column, which appears in Strange Reaction, and the very popular Deep Red Magazine. I have had the pleasure of meeting people from all over the world just because we have this amazing technology on the internet.
I was an original member of the early Los Angeles punk rock scene, which is what I write about. It was an exciting time and I am lucky to have been able to meet so many of the bands I was a fan of as a teenager. I was a member of several bands myself and later a popular flier illustrator for others.
I have loved writing since my high school days. I live with my wife, Elizabeth, and our son, Lucas.
As an original member of the early Los Angeles punk rock scene, I was a member of several bands and later a popular flier illustrator.
I have loved writing since my high school days. I live with my wife, Elizabeth, and son Lucas.
I have written eight books, fiction, and nonfiction and co-authored one.
Q2. What were the key challenges you faced while writing ‘Born Frustrated’ book?
The challenge was to write something as interesting as the previous two books, Last One To Die and Life Won’t Wait. They had a certain feeling and atmosphere that the last book in the trilogy had to continue. After writing two previous novels, I could feel my writing style shifting and changing.
Q3. What books or authors have most influenced your own writing?
Well, I don’t know how influenced I’ve been by them, but I’m a fan of Eddie Little, Jim Carroll, and Dan Fante. I think I am drawn to writers that take the same approach as I do in that the technical aspects aren’t as important as storytelling. Raw and unfiltered writing that speaks to the reader on a personal level,
Q4. What’s your favourite spot to visit in your own country? And what makes it so special to you?
I would have to say Hawaii. I have visited the beautiful islands twice, one of them being my honeymoon, and it speaks to me. I think any place that involves the ocean would be where I want to go. It’s one of the wonderful things about living in Los Angeles where the ocean is a short drive away.
Q5. Is there lots to do before you drive in and start writing a book?
There is preparation that goes into starting a new book. I figure out if I’m going towards fiction or nonfiction. That decision comes from what type of story I feel like telling. An idea for a fiction story could have been ruminating in my mind for months before it decides it wants to be told. From there, I might outline roughly how the story will go, if it is fiction. My nonfiction books just flow without much of an outline, but I do try to keep them within the same theme. Once I’ve written the first chapter or story, the books seem to flow.
Q6. How long did it take you to write ‘Life Won’t Wait’ book?
About two years. I had completed and published Last One To Die in 2011. It sold very well, so I jumped into the second book, Life Won’t Wait immediately. Once I completed it, I handed it off to my proofreader and editor and they felt it didn’t have the same punch as LOTD. So, rather than editing it, I dumped the whole thing and started over. I published Life Won’t Wait in 2013 and am still very pleased with the outcome.
Q7. On what all platforms readers can find your books to buy?
All my books are available in the standard formats, Kindle and paperback on Amazon and Barnes & Noble. If you are in the United States, you can contact me directly and I will send you an autographed copy.
Q8. Tell us about the process of coming up with the cover and the title of your books?
In the beginning, I took titles from songs I like. Mostly from the band Rancid. The covers have been various photographers I like. A few have been photos taken by my wife and one or two from legendary rock photographer Edward Colver.
Q9. When writing a book how do you keep things fresh, for both your readers and also yourself?
I don’t really take freshness into consideration. I mostly write about what I want to write about. If I think too much about what everyone will like, my writing loses what makes me the storyteller I am. I think my faithful readers that have been with me from the start would notice the difference as well. They read and enjoyed my books for my particular style and take on storytelling. That being said, I have tried different things such as, co-authoring with other writers and collaborating. In fact, there are stories in two of my fiction books that my teenaged son contributed. He is turning out to be extremely creative and can come up with a whole tale on the spot.
Q10. Are there any secrets from the book (that aren’t in the blurb), you can share with your readers?
Hmm, if I told you it wouldn’t be a secret! Kidding aside, I suppose the biggest secret, that people probably want to confirm, is that every single story is absolutely true and without embellishment for the sake of making it better. All the crazy moments and characters and situations you might have thought “I wonder if that really happened”? The secret is yes. Yes, it happened and it happened exactly the way I described.
Book Is Available On Amazon
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