Last week, I had the privilege of attending a workshop for Cedar Fort authors, where I was able to meet an amazing group of writers. Among that group was Michael D. Young, author of The Canticle Kingdom and the long anticipated The Last Archangel, which is set to be released July 14th. If you haven't read The Canticle Kingdom, then I'd highly recommend it. And if you have, then I'm sure your eagerly awaiting The Last Archangel. I truly enjoyed meeting Michael Young, and I’ve recently had the opportunity to interview him about his latest book and his career as a writer. Michael is a cool guy with a great sense of humor and I was excited for the chance to chat with him. If you like what you've read today, check out his Blog to learn more about his action-packed books. You can also visit Archangel for a sneak peak of The Last Archangel.
Tell us about yourself… I’m a very busy man, and very blessed. I design German courses for a language learning company during the day, and divide my time between being a writer and a member of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir at night. I also have a wife and two great sons who are a great support in all of this craziness.
I grew up with eight younger siblings and with a military father who took us all over the country and the world in the course of his career. I think some of the things I write about come from the stories I told my younger siblings and the many places I’ve been.
I came out with a YA Fantasy “The Canticle Kingdom” last year, the inspiritational pamphlet “Portrait of a Mother” in March, and I’m releasing a YA Urban Fantasy “The Last Archangel” next month.
What inspired you to write your first book? I have been an avid reader and storyteller my entire life. One day in high school I just thought, “I could write a novel. How hard could it be?” The answer turned out to be “pretty hard”, but over the course of the next year, I managed it anyway. It was about a time-traveling man who feels responsible for the death of his brother and travels back in time to save him, only to find out when he returns that his wife married his brother instead of him. (Crazy!) That one has never seen the light of day, but it was great to prove to myself that I could do it.
What are your current projects? I’m working on several things: an epic fantasy, in which everyone is required to wear a mask 24/7, a book based on the Jaredites journey in the Book of Mormon, and revising a number of young adult and middle grade projects in various stages of completions.
Did you see writing as a career? That is my goal, but I’m sure it will still take some years to realize it. If I could just write and promote all of the time, I’d be a happy man. I feel very blessed that I’ve already gotten my foot in the door and have got to do such author-ly things as signing books at bookstores, and participating on panels at writer’s conferences. I’m not quitting my day job yet, but in the meantime, I’m doing everything I can to build my writing career.
Who is your favorite author and what is it that really strikes you about their work? I don’t know that I can say that only one is my favorite, but one of them is Orson Scott Card. It strikes me how versatile his writing is. I’m always discovering new things that he has written, and they always break out of the mold somehow. That’s something for which I would like to strive in my writing.
Did you learn anything from writing your book and what was it? I think writing any book is a great learning experience for the author. Among the things that I learned were that you can always improve you’re writing, no matter how well you think you did. I also learned that you can’t please everyone. You simply need to write what you are passionate about and then have the courage to share it with others, realizing that some will embrace it and other reject it.
Thank you so much, Michael, for the interview! I had a lot of fun!
Check Out: The Last Archangel coming July 2011
Xandir has been exiled to earth until the end of time. But when his cherub trainee disappears, Xandir makes a deal with rogue angels and giants that could restore life to the mortal woman he loves and end his assignment as a destroying angel in exchange for helping them bring about the end of the world and all of mankind.
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