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Exclusive Interview with

Mike Nemeth

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When did you start writing?

I began writing in 2013, the last year of my professional career. I wrote my first novel on long haul airplane flights and foreign hotel rooms.

Mike Nemeth
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What makes writing your passion?

Every novel is based on a theme and every theme is some issue that I'm upset about. Writing a story that illuminates the issue is my way of cimmunicating to a broad audience.

Mike Nemeth
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How long have you been writing?

Since 2013. Before that, real life kept getting in the way.

Mike Nemeth
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What was the feeling when you published your first book?

Elation. Then I realized that there are far too many books and too few readers. Writing becomes a marketing business to get visibility. That's the downside.

Mike Nemeth
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What’s the story behind your choice of characters?

My process is first a theme, what do I want to say. Then a story that will illuminate that theme. Finally I cast characters that fit the story, like a movie director casting actors. The characters must be believable in their roles.

Mike Nemeth
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What annoys you the most in pursuing a writing career?

The amount of time I spend running the "business."

Mike Nemeth
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How do you get over the “writer’s block”?

I've never experienced writer's block. I'm a plotter so I always know what comes next. And I like my stories so I want to finish them.

Mike Nemeth
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We all know the writer’s path is never easy, what makes you keep going? What advice would you give to new authors?

A writer is a person who is compelled to write, who has no choice but to write. My advice to young writers is: make sure you have something to say, then say it.

Mike Nemeth
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If you could go back in time and talk to your younger self, what would you say?

Don't worry about your problems; it's going to turn out okay.

Mike Nemeth
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Do you read your book reviews? How do you deal with the bad ones?

I do. Depends where they come from. Trolls should be ignored. Constructive criticism is very useful. I learn from those reviews.

Mike Nemeth
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What is the feeling when you get a good review?

Happy that someone enjoyed my work.

Mike Nemeth
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Have you ever incorporated something that happened to you in real life into your novels?

There is no such things as fiction.

Mike Nemeth
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Which of your characters you can compare yourself with? Did you base that character on you?

Like Quentin Tarantino and Alfred Hitchcock, I'm somewhere in all my books.

Mike Nemeth
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What do you think, the book cover is as important as the story?

Absolutely. First thing a browser sees. Also the title. Then the back cover copy. If those aren't appealing, there's no sale.

Mike Nemeth
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Do you connect with your readers? Do you mind having a chat with them or you prefer to express yourself through your writing?

Happy to connect.

Mike Nemeth
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How do you feel when people appreciate your work or recognize you in public?

I blush.

Mike Nemeth
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Who is your favorite author? Why?

Joseph Kanon. He writes historical, international intrigue. I can't do what he does but it's my favorite genre.

Mike Nemeth
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What’s the dream? Whom would you like to be as big as?

Joseph Kanon. He's not GMA every day, but he's known to his fans.

Mike Nemeth
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Would you rewrite any of your books? Why?

Sure, my first novel, Defiled. It was a "starter" novel and I didn't know much about writing back then.

Mike Nemeth
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If you could switch places with any author – who would that be?

Paula Hawkins. She writes stories similar to mine but is far more popular. Or maybe Harlan Coben. His stories are similar, too.

Mike Nemeth
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What would you say to the “trolls” on the internet? We all know them – people who like to write awful reviews to books they’ve never read or didn’t like that much, just to annoy the author.

Get a life.

Mike Nemeth
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What would you say to your readers?

If you like what I write, stay tuned. More is coming.

Mike Nemeth
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Share a bit about yourself – where do you live, are you married, do you have kids?

I live with my wife and rescue dog in suburban Atlanta. We have one daughter and two grandkids. Grandkids are our reward for not strangling our children.

Mike Nemeth
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What is your day job if you have one?

Retired now after a long career developing computer systems for global corporations.

Mike Nemeth
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What are your hobbies? What do you do in your free time?

I play golf and trout fish in North Georgia.

Mike Nemeth
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Did you have a happy childhood?

I had a very safe, comfortable, stable, and traditional childhood.

Mike Nemeth
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Is there a particular experience that made you start writing?

Not really. I read a lot as young person and always thought I'd try to emulate my favorites as I grew older.

Mike Nemeth
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Do you have unpublished books? What are they about?

I've published four novels and three nonfiction books. The one I'm working on is the only unpublished book. It's a coming-of-age story set in 1965, a tumultuous year in which to grow up.

Mike Nemeth
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What do you think should be improved in the education of our children? What do we lack?

The fundamentals: reading, writing and arithmetic. And life skills.

Mike Nemeth
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If you were allowed 3 wishes – what would they be?

I wish I were fifty.
I wish I had met my wife earlier in life.
I wish I had started writing sooner.

Mike Nemeth
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What is your favorite music?

Classic rock and roll - Beatles, Stones, Chicago, Blood Sweat and Tears, etc.

Mike Nemeth
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Share a secret with us 🙂

I've voted for every winning president since Nixon, no matter the party, and I'm still not happy with politics.

Mike Nemeth
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