SIME-GEN.COM INTERVIEW 10/15/2003 By Laurraine Tutihasi laurraine@mac.com |
"Currently on-line at Sime-gen" | |
Are
you a full-time writer? Yes,
finally. If
not, what do you do to make ends meet? Sometime
program Industrial Robots. If you were not a writer, what profession do you think you would like to do? Stage directing is a distant second. What profession do you feel you would hate and why? Sales. I’m not cut for it. How
did you become interested in writing mysteries? Quality
Mystery books allow an extra slice of suspense, thrill, to keep you on the
edge of your seat. Do you write outside the mystery field? Yes.. If
yes, what other types of writing do you do? Mainstream,
Sci-Fi and Paranormal. What
types of writing that you haven't done are you interesting in doing?
Some New-Age style. Do
ideas for books
just come to you? Yes.
I have about six future books framework done.
I need more time. Do
you do a lot of research before you write? Sometimes
intensively, other times is pure imagination. What
kind of things inspire your writing? The
world around me: events,
people, a street sign, etc. Do
you pattern your characters after people you know? yourself? Sometime
people I distantly know, a bit of myself here and there, but ALWAYS the
themes are based on real, traumatic events happening in the world, so
people can relate to them. Do
you enjoy reading? I
love reading. Every day. If
yes, what kind of books do you enjoy reading? Thrillers,
paranormal, drama. I covered
the classics years ago. Who are your favourite authors? John D. MacDonald, Margaret Atwood and many new authors. Where do you see your writing headed in the next ten
years? A few more
novels in the works, maybe a bestseller sometime.
I’m “full-of-books.” Do you follow a routine when you write? Yes,
rigorously: Find a good title first, wonder around “aimlessly” for a
couple of weeks, chewing on the opening chapter, take some notes.
Finally sit down at the computer and stay with it.
It’s so much fun.
What are your feelings toward the publishing industry? I find that a lot of published books are very poor and a lot of new wonderful manuscripts/writers pass unnoticed. A shame. Do you feel that the author must take more
responsibility than in the past to market his own books? Yes,
indeed. The publishers demand
more time from their authors then in the past. Do you resent having to do this? Not
really. This is the “new
era.” What are your feelings toward reviewers? Sometimes
they’re superficial, sometime very good.
One word though: I read too many reviews, some of them on my own books, where
the reviewers gives away, time and time again, the story of the book,
citing scenes from the book and not much else -- That’s not reviewing,
it’s a simple, damaging waste of time for everybody. Do you feel that criticism can be useful in improving
you writing? Absolutely.
Authors need feedback – good or back to improve their writing. What's your opinion on the direction of the
publishing industry, especially the influence of e-publishing? I
still like paper books best but e-publishing definitely would save a few
trees. My second paper novel,
REPENT, just came out last week in e-book format with America House.
E-books are okay but the industry must find an easy to use,
cross-format book reader, less expansive, in order to grow and flourish. What works of yours should we look forward to seeing
in the near future? Two completed Paranormal Thrillers
complete and currently under agent representation: INVISIBLE
BIRTHMARKS and POCKETS OF TIME. My
current working novel: Thriller/Suspense, titled VIOLATED SANCTUARIES,
completed by 2004. Is there anything else you would like to mention that I haven't asked about? Yes. In my opinion all authors should take responsibility and help make a better tomorrow for our children. Words are powerful tools, use them wisely. Laurraine Tutihasi
Editor of Sime~Gen Perspectives Newsletter, published monthly; Mainstream Reviews gatemaster; and Mystery Interviews gatemaster.
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Mission City Record |
Anka's new book out now |
11/08/2001 By
Jason Roessle
There's no rest for the talented. With two books out already, local author Michael Anka hasn't taken a break and moved straight into writing his third. Repent: 2000, was just recently released by Publish America and |
is available locally at Save-On-Foods, Mission Library and can
be purchased on-line through Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble. In the
novel, racer Steven Conrad crashes and is near death.
After checking himself out of hospital against doctor's orders, he's not the same person and |
begins chasing his frightening visions and premonitions.
Anka's first novel, Perplex Vision, came out earlier this
year. It seems once the inspiration starts flowing, there's no stopping
Anka.
For more information on Anka and his work, visit his website: |
Mission City Record |
03/08/2001 Exploring the paranormal By Cheryl Wierda Michael Anka squeezes in the time to write between running a business, raising a
family, and spending time motorcycle racing. But that precious time has
proved fruitful, as one of Anka’s projects, a book he wrote some four or five
years ago, has been published. |
Anka has dabbled in writing most of his life. “Writing is in my blood,” he said. “It just came easy.” It became a little more difficult after Anka immigrated to Canada, as it took time to learn the nuances of the English language. |
Photo by Cheryl Wierda Michael Anka's first novel, Perplex Vision 2000, recently came out, and his second book, Repent, is slated for printing this summer.
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Anka, a native of Romania, escaped in 1979, and spent time in a refugee
camp in Italy before coming to Canada. Anka soon became involved in film writing in Canada, producing and
writing avant guard stage productions and taking a film directing course at BCIT.Despite publishing one book, and waiting for a second to come off the
presses, Anka’s job made it difficult to find time to write. He owns his own automations company, which provided financial stability for his family, but is also coupled with more responsibility. Even though it was difficult to find time to write, Anka never gave up on writing. “I kept going back to writing,” he said. The Mission resident’s new book took two years to write, said Anka, noting he “squeezed it in” between his family, business, and racing. That meant he was sometimes writing at 4 a.m. “I have the whole thing in here,” Anka said, pointing to his head. “I just have to try to find time to write it down.” Anka’s new book, Perplex Vision 2000, was put away for a number of years. Last summer, though, Anka dug it out, and started making
contacts with publishers. The author, who is now working on his third publication, said the stories
comes from things that are already around him.
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