Interview with Author Michael Carver

 

 

1. What inspired you to write this book? This collection was my COVID project - I had previously written most of the poems many years ago and had often wanted to try to get them published so I took the pandemic time to make that happen. The book was written mostly in airports and on airplanes traveling to and from various cities to meet my partner Brad and the emotional anxiety of not knowing if and when I might ever see him again. 

2. What exactly is it about and who is it written for? The book is about finding love when it is least planned and least expected and how you can express that love through the art of prose.  

3. What do you hope readers will get out of reading your book? I hope readers will be inspired and comforted by the fact that love really can move mountains and survive through immense obstacles and challenges.  

4. How did you decide on your book’s title and cover design? For the cover design, I wanted an "impressionistic" style cover that hinted at conveying that love can be divinely and heavenly inspired.  The title actually came from a dear friend of mine.  

5. What advice or words of wisdom do you have for fellow writers  – other than run!? Just do it!  Get started.  Even if you don't have the confidence of being a writer, go for it.  Pay attention to the world around you and start to try to transcribe what you see - it will lead you into what I call "prose journeys" that unleash your creative spirit!  

6. What trends in the book world do you see -- and where do you think the book publishing industry is heading? Well I definitely think we've seen a rise in "self-publishing" options for authors. This is both good and bad.  It's good because it opens the doors of the publishing world to almost anyone and certainly for those who may not have traditionally had publishing as an option and opportunity.  It's also bad because it propels the volume of published books out there making it challenging to market and promote your work amongst so many other books.  

7. Were there experiences in your personal   life or career that came in handy when writing this book? I love words!  I love seeing the world - especially the tiny details and then transcribing what I see in prose.  For me, since a lot of the poems are highly personal, the book launched a freedom to be vulnerable and share with the world my innermost thoughts and feelings - something I don't do readily in my daily life.  

8. How would you describe your writing style? Which writers or books is your writing similar to? This particular collection is a style similar to "streams of consciousness." But it's more of a stream of consciousness of the heart than the brain but perhaps a perfect blend of the two.  William Faulkner comes to mind but please note that I am in no way comparing myself or my abilities to the greatness of Faulkner.  

9. What challenges did you overcome in the writing of this book? I think the biggest challenge was exposing my vulnerabilities and putting my thoughts and feelings out there for friends and family to see and feel and maybe understand a little bit more about who I really am.  

10. If people can buy or read one book this week or month, why should it be yours? People are really busy these days and everyone is overwhelmed with so much information.  Each poem in this collection can stand alone and serve as a little meditation for the day.  The book isn't meant to be read in one sitting or all at once.  You can read a poem a day and that seems to fit today's readers.  

Michael Carver works and lives in Chapel Hill, NC. Michael is both a local musician and a federal contractor in information technology. Michael received a Master of Science in technical writing and editing. When Michael isn’t writing or conducting, you’ll find him out on his boat with his partner, Brad, and their four-legged daughter, “Miss Bella.” For more info, please see: (7) Michael Carver | Facebook

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About Brian Feinblum

Brian Feinblum should be followed on Twitter @theprexpert. This is copyrighted by BookMarketingBuzzBlog ©2023. Born and raised in Brooklyn, he now resides in Westchester with his wife, two kids, and Ferris, a black lab rescue dog. His writings are often featured in The Writer and IBPA’s The Independent.  This award-winning blog has generated over 3.3 million pageviews. With 4,400+ posts over the past dozen years, it was named one of the best book marketing blogs by BookBaby  http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs  and recognized by Feedspot in 2021 and 2018 as one of the top book marketing blogs. It was also named by www.WinningWriters.com as a "best resource.” For the past three decades, including 21 years as the head of marketing for the nation’s largest book publicity firm, and two jobs at two independent presses, Brian has worked with many first-time, self-published, authors of all genres, right along with best-selling authors and celebrities such as: Dr. Ruth, Mark Victor Hansen, Joseph Finder, Katherine Spurway, Neil Rackham, Harvey Mackay, Ken Blanchard, Stephen Covey, Warren Adler, Cindy Adams, Todd Duncan, Susan RoAne, John C. Maxwell, Jeff Foxworthy, Seth Godin, and Henry Winkler. He recently hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America, and has spoken at ASJA, Independent Book Publishers Association Sarah Lawrence College, Nonfiction Writers Association, Cape Cod Writers Association, Willamette (Portland) Writers Association, APEX, and Connecticut Authors and Publishers Association. His letters-to-the-editor have been published in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, New York Post, NY Daily News, Newsday, The Journal News (Westchester) and The Washington Post. He has been featured in The Sun Sentinel and Miami Herald. For more information, please consult: www.linkedin.com/in/brianfeinblum.