AUTHOR VISITS
Would you like Mike to visit your school or business and talk about any of the following: books, education, writing, publishing, Gilded Age history and the War of the Currents? Or, maybe you'd like something tailored to your needs and you'd like Mike to discuss multiple topics? Whatever the case, at reasonable RATES, Mike is available for author visits. Use the contact page to get in touch.
* For the 2019-2020 school year, Mike is (mostly) available year-round.
Your Life's a Story
Mike not only writes and edits, he's a teacher as well. Along with other subjects & courses, Mike teaches creative writing and journalism. He is often discussing how to "find a story" in both fiction and nonfiction. This is why he had the idea of showing readers how real life can be turned into fiction. The result is the BEEN THERE, DONE THAT series.
But turning life into fiction isn't a magic trick. It's a careful process that requires retrospection, introspection, manipulation, and application of creative license. Mike offers his services to help show how this process works, helping to make sure writers young and old never hit a "block" in their writing lives.
The Road to Publication
Mike's journey from aspiring author to publishing professional was not an overnight trip. It was riddled with obstacles, applied solutions, more obstacles, gained knowledge from failing, networking, and developing his craft.
If you're looking for someone to explain the entire process of going from aspiring author to published author, Mike is your man. During this visit, he will explain: the process of writing a manuscript (including the do's and don'ts); the characteristics of various genres of literature (fiction & nonfiction); the query & agent search process (Mike has had offers of representation from over 14 literary agents in his career); and most importantly, the publication process itself (each step that a book goes through from deal to shelf).
War of the Currents: Learn the Real Story
What do you know about the War of the Currents? If the answer is “not much,” you might want to have Mike pay you a visit. Because the truth is: the War of the Currents (as depicted in The Electric War) is often an unknown battle to the typical person, especially high school students and college students.
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For this visit, Mike walks the audience through the story not often told in history textbooks students read in school. Edison's devious tactics, Tesla's idiosyncrasies, and Westinghouse's firm conviction to stay true to himself despite his competitor's "dirty" approach.
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Mike offers his services to shed light on the time period, the War of the Currents, and the inventive minds of the time.