Interview with J. Michael Radcliffe

Continuing my series of interviews with authors, today's guest is Michael Radcliffe. Michael publishes fabulous fantasy fiction under his author name J. Michael Radcliffe. He's one of my favourite authors and has also become a great friend. Michael has written a series of books "Beyond The Veil", as well as many short stories. He has been a contributor to the BestsellerBound Anthologies and The Mind's Eye series of books.


INTERVIEW WITH J. MICHAEL RADCLIFFE




Hello, Michael! Thank you for being a guest here on my blog. Please introduce yourself.

My name is Michael Radcliffe, and I live in rural Kentucky with my family and our ever growing cadre of cats.

I still can't believe how many cats you have!

I started writing in 2002, but did not publish my first book until late 2010. Since then I have gone on to write four full length books and about fifteen short stories. My muse is a small dragon statuette, whom I have named ‘Idris.’ He provides ideas, motivation, and lots and lots of criticism of my work!

Ha, ha! I love Idris!




Tell us more about your cats!

We have cats. Lots of cats. They seem to keep finding us, and being soft-hearted we can’t turn any of them away. At last count we have 8 cats that are ours (2 live outside), as well as 2 strays that visit every few weeks.



Do you have a day job or write full time?

By day I am the Executive Vice President responsible for Compliance at a local community bank – meaning I work as a liaison with state and federal regulators, conduct audits, and read and interpret laws and regulations. My most important responsibility however, is education – I’m responsible for keeping all 200 of our people informed and up to speed on the rules that affect their jobs.

It's an amazing achievement to do that and still be able to find time to write all your wonderful stories!

Why should people buy your books?

Because I like to think I am a decent storyteller.

You're a excellent storyteller!

I want to share the worlds I have created with people. I want to tell my characters’ stories, so they can live on in the imagination of others.

Where does your inspiration come from?

My muse can be mercurial at times. I can never be certain what may inspire me; sometimes I will stare at a blank screen for an hour and *nothing* comes to mind. Other times, I can’t type fast enough to get the words down on the page. Recently I was fortunate enough to participate in a project with some brilliant writers (like Maria Savva)

(Thanks!)

...and a couple of photographers. Each writer was given two or three original photos and asked to write a short story inspired by same. It was tremendous fun, and I surprised myself with some of the stories I created.

It's been great having you on board for the Mind's Eye series, Michael. I've enjoyed all your stories!




What’s the best time of day for you to write?

I do my best writing at night, usually very late around 10pm or later.

Do you listen to music when you write? If so, what type?

Absolutely – music helps lubricate the imagination! Most of the time I listen to classical music or movie soundtracks, such as the music from Star Wars or Game of Thrones. Although I absolutely love Vivaldi and Mozart as well.

Apart from writing, what are your favourite pastimes?

I enjoy spending time with my family, traveling, and cooking. While I also enjoy gardening, I rarely have the time anymore.

What advice would you give your 16-year-old self?

Don’t give up, it gets better (it just takes a while). Ignore the bullies and have confidence in yourself – their opinions are irrelevant. Find people who value you for who you are – don’t change just to make others happy.

Great advice.

Do you format your own books?

Yes, although there are times I wish I didn’t. I have a love/hate relationship with Microsoft Word.

Where are your books on sale?

All of my books and short stories can be found on Amazon.



Which social media sites can you most often be found on?

I am on Facebook and I have toyed with Instagram. I’ve never learned how to Snapchat, but you can find me on Twitter as @Alderdrache.

If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live?

Somewhere tropical, because I love the ocean. I also love tropical plants and flowers.

Do you have any advice for writers as to how to deal with bad reviews?

Although this is far more difficult in practice, ignore them. Reading is inherently subjective, and no matter how perfect your prose or how spot on your editing is, someone, somewhere, will not like your story. I had one reviewer complain that my “novel” was far too short – when in fact they had read one of my (clearly labeled) short stories! Some reviewers seem to revel in trying to wound writers, seeming to derive some sort of perverted sense of accomplishment by tearing someone down. It never ceases to amaze me how cruel some humans are to those of their own species – which is why I often prefer the company of dragons!

LOL Sadly, I can totally understand that!

What do you enjoy most about the writing process?

I know this sounds insane, but I love to watch a story unfold in front of my eyes. As I write a story, I can see and hear the characters in my mind, almost as if I’m watching a movie. When I was writing my last novel, "Touch of Darkness," I could see the characters so clearly as I wrote the climactic ending I was almost in tears. I also really enjoy the world-building process. As a fantasy writer, I love fleshing out the details of the world inhabited by my characters.

Your stories are very vivid! I'm looking forward to reading more from you! Thanks for taking part in this interview series, Michael!

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Author links:

Website: http://www.michaelradcliffe.com/index...
Blog: https://michaelradcliffe.wordpress.com/
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/J.-Michael-Radc...
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/J-Michael-Ra...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Alderdrache
Instagram: http://yooying.com/alderdrache