Michael’s Comments (group member since May 21, 2012)

Michael’s comments from the Q&A with Mike McManus group.

This book was a joy to write. In those days I was working full time and did most of my writing late at night. It probably took my six months to complete the first draft. I love writing in the first person, using my alter ego Philip Crisp to tell the story. I have decided to write a second book in the "Forgotten" series. It's working title is "Almost Forgotten". It should be ready near Christmas.

Although I recently published this book on Kindle (which can also be read on PCs, smart phones, iPads and the like), I wrote this in the early 1990's. I have written short stories and poetry all of my life, but I got serious about writing novels in my thirties.

The inspiration for this novel came from a dream about twins and from two people with whom I grew up. My grandmother is the force behind the grandmother in this story. She was a very independent and somewhat wealthy lady. She had the ability to fit in where ever she wanted, whether it be in a church wearing very formal clothing and talking with a certain level of sophistication or man-handling a hoe in her vegetable garden wearing a worn-out house dress. She did not have the kind of money that the woman in the story had, but she did own numerous properties in Ohio and Michigan.

Anne's character was inspired by my sister, because of her independence and need to put people in front of money in her list of priorities. My sister's life was not as tragic as Anne's, but she had her trials and tribulations. She also was more apt to be at odds with my grandmother than not.

Most of the supporting characters were composites of people I have actually met and had dealings with. I think that is what we do as writers, log little bits of observed behaviors away in the memory banks and stitch them together into interesting characters.