Author Interview and Giveaway with Michael Mullin

Today I have the pleaure of interviewing Michael Mullin. author of the very funny story, 8:  The Previously Untold Story of the Previously Unknown 8th Dwarf (you can read my review here).  Mr. Mullin has also generously offered TWO ecopies of his story as a giveaway (see details below with the Rafflecopter form).

Here is a summary of the story from Goodreads:
Written in verse, this is the previously untold story of the previously unknown 8th dwarf, named Creepy. He is banished to the basement for being different and, well, weird. Yet he plays a vital - and of course previously unknown - role in the popular tale of Snow White (whose title character is an intruder Creepy refers to as "the Maid").

And now for the interview:

I love new twists on well-known stories. Can you tell us about yours?

8 is the story of Creepy, the 8^th dwarf no one ever knew about. He doesn’t fit in with the other guys, and when he shocks them to amuse himself, they lock him in the cottage basement. From there he affects the Snow White story we all know.

8 is written in poetry. Do you always write in poetry?

Thankfully, no. I’m scared I might start talking like that and lose friendships! I am finishing a follow-up fairy tale in verse and plan to write a third, so there’s a trilogy of sorts. (Not sequels, but a set of three.) I write John Skewes’ Larry Gets Lost™ picture book series. John is the wildly talented cover artist and illustrator on 8. Those stories are also in verse, but for a much younger audience. In addition, I’ve written screenplays for animation studios and have two regular, prose YA novels in the works.

Who or what encouraged (or still encourages) you in your writing?

I’m mostly encouraged or inspired by the stories themselves. I enjoy the process of turning an idea into a story. I’m obsessive about structure and meaning, and I’m a brutal self-editor, so I’m my own toughest critic. That said, I also like the fact that my 10-year-old twins read enough above their grade level that they already enjoy my work and “encourage” (a.k.a. harass) me to finish what I start.

What challenges have you faced in your writing and how did you overcome them?

Self publishing is a challenge for sure, because I have to divide my time between actually writing and online marketing. Aside from that, I battle basic time management issues that all adults face (especially those of us with kids!)

What do you when you are not writing?

When I’m not taking care of the kids, I read, play tennis and have just started to get back into playing ice hockey. I’m also learning illustration and design.

How do you incorporate writing into your everyday life? How do you fuel your writing?

My routine has me writing in the mornings and late nights. I’m fortunate to have a freelance (copywriting/brand development) career that affords me a flexible schedule. Also, having several projects in various stages of development fuels the process. Knowing the frustration of feeling unproductive or “behind” is plenty of fuel to stay motivated.

Is there one passage in your book that you feel gets to the heart of your book? If so, can you share it?

The whole story is quite short (about 2,200 words), but here is what Hollywood would call the “inciting incident”:

‘Til one night at dinner, he’d had quite enough

Of their pointless, dwarfish, merriment stuff.

When a spider crawled slowly across Creepy’s bowl,

He grabbed it and showed it and swallowed it whole.

“That does it!” they said, and they locked him downstairs

In a cellar room, cold and in need of repairs.

From there he still heard them, their chatter and feet,

And he saw them through floorboards that didn’t quite meet.

He wondered how long they would keep up this game.

After all, he was just living up to his name.

What new projects are you working on or are excited about right now?

I’m very excited to finish my follow-up story: The Plight and Plot of Princess Penny. Hopefully out in February, it’s an original fairy tale about a princess who hires a witch to get revenge on a Mean Girl at school. The nod to a “retelling” is that the witch is from The Frog Prince (and Beauty & the Beast – I gave her both of those gigs.) The introduction to that story – with brand new rough cover design – is posted here:

http://www.goodreads.com/story/show/282744-the-plight-and-plot-of-princess-penny

Thank you so much for answering my questions.

Thank you for the opportunity. 


To find out more, you can go to the Facebook Page for the book. 


And, now for the giveaway.  There are TWO ecopies available internationally.  The deadline for entry is midnight Jan 27.  The winners will be announced on Saturday, Jan 28th.  The winners will have 2 days to respond to my email and if they don't I will pick new winners.
 

a Rafflecopter giveaway