AUTHOR INTERVIEW - MICHAEL J LEE

When did you consider yourself a writer?

When I wrote something good. When I finished my first draft of My Frankenstein I knew I had something.

Do you work another job as well as your writing work?

I’m a freelance screenplay consultant and script contest judge. That means I judge screenplays submitted to contests.

What is the name of your latest book, and if you had to summarize it in less than 20 words what would you say?

From Russia with Blood. A vampire secret agent and a beautiful young woman are on the run from monsters and assassins.

Which of your books were easier/harder to write than the others?

From Russia was easier to write because I made such a thorough outline at the beginning and I was writing mostly from personal experience. Many of the settings I have either visited or lived in.

What can we expect from you in the future?

Well I have sequels to My Frankenstein and From Russia with Blood cooking. I’m also hard at work on a series of historical paranormal tales that begin in Celtic Britain and continue all the way to the present day. I call it the History of Blood.

Do you have a favorite character from your books? Why?

Viktor Frankenstein was a terrific villain. I also loved writing Larissa, because I was a huge Buffy fan and I gave her a lot of Willow-isms.

What was the toughest/best review you ever had?

The late great screenwriting guru Blake Snyder gave me this advice. He asked me after I pitched him a few ideas, “Who are you writing for? If you’re only writing for yourself, don’t expect anyone else to pay you for it.” That was valuable advice. It’s not that you have to chase down the hottest trend, but you can’t just live inside your own bubble. You have to go out and see if what resonates with you resonates with anyone else. Otherwise you are just writing for yourself. In the end, I want people to enjoy reading my work.

http://myfrankensteinebook.blogspot.com/

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4849011.Michael_Lee