book « Robin Writes

Michael Chulsky’s debut novel, The Descending Darkness, will be released next week on September 28. He’s a little bit excited about all this, but he managed to put pen to paper once again and answer a few questions I threw at him:

Q: When did you start writing The Descending Darkness?
I began writing The Descending Darkness when I was sixteen. It was a rough time in my life. I felt really alone. I would have gone crazy (read crazier) if I didn’t have my “imaginary friends” to keep me company. And they did just that when I was writing TDD.

Q: Tell us about the book.
The Descending Darkness follows the story of Shadow and his mission to save the world. However, saving the world isn’t exactly a one-man kind of job. He begins assembling a team of teens, much like himself with special abilities, to assist him. With ten of them on his side, what could go wrong?

Well, just about everything.

If they’re not setting the house on fire or destroying his property, they’re raiding the fridge and making a mess of the place. And when they’re supposed to be training, they’d much rather skip off to the mall.

Unfortunately, no amount of training can prepare them for Maedara. They’ll need to work together in order to defeat her.

Q: Are your characters based on anyone in real life?

Shadow and I share some personality traits. We both have pain in our pasts. We’re also both very awkward. One of the major things in common is that Shadow doesn’t really know how to be a teenager because he was forced to grow up fast, and I felt the same way.

Physically, Ellie (one of the female team members) is the spitting image of my good friend, Daniella.

And Niki (another one of the female team members) is greatly inspired by my best friend of six years of the same name.

I think that many, if not all writers, put a bit of themselves, family, and friends into their characters. One of the major rules I was taught of writing is that authors always write about what they know. And the people who are closest to us often provide the greatest inspiration.

Q: Who or what inspired you to become an author?
I’ve always had a passion for writing. When I was younger, I would fill up entire composition books with poetry and short stories. The biggest sign was when my literature teachers assigned writing prompts or essays; I didn’t groan like the rest of my classmates. ;P

Q: What made you decide to seek out a publisher as opposed to self-publishing?
I wanted to try things traditionally first. I told myself that I would give it a year and if I didn’t find anyone willing to take a shot on my story, I would go down the self-publishing route. And in April, I sent my manuscript to Rocking Horse Publishing and the rest, as they say, is history.

You can pre-order The Descending Darkness here:

“After going from demon hunter to babysitter, seventeen-year-old SHADOW has truly hit rock bottom. One week he’s slaughtering demons, and the next he has ten super-powered teenagers in his care. Shadow needs them, because without them he can’t hope to defeat his new foe. But he’s never dealt with other teenagers before. He never had a real childhood. He’s always been a loner. Hell, he’s tried the whole having-a-pet thing. It died.

“Shadow’s mission: save the world and ensure his entire team survives the potential apocalypse. If MAEDARA, self-proclaimed fashionista and Queen of Evil, wasn’t trying to rule the world, it’d be cake. Now, not only does Shadow have to deal with teens more concerned with going to the mall than fighting evil, but also a villain who, in his opinion, makes Lady Gaga look like Mother Theresa.”

I’ve kind of dropped the ball on the blog posts the last couple of week, and I apologize. I actually started writing a post about bookstores, but decided it was too whiny. I did, however, save a few highlights.

So here are a few dos and don’ts when shopping at an indie bookstore:

DO come in and hang out for a while. We don’t mind at all, but we can’t always sit and chat.

DO talk about books you love – we’ll probably throw in a few comments too.

DO tell us about books you DO NOT like (unless it’s mine, then you can just keep it to yourself!) – we have some we think are plain awful. It’s okay. You don’t have to love every book.

DO let us order a book for you – we can find almost any book, new or used, and it arrives in about a week or so.

DO ask about our local authors – we’ve met most of them, and if you’re lucky, one will be in the store when you come. As a side note, they’ve worked just as hard on their books as some “celebrity” authors, but you haven’t heard of them yet. Yet. Instead of reading the same old stuff, try someone new!

DON’T tell us how to run to the store, or arrange the store. Trust me, we’ve tried a number of different things and this is what works. Especially don’t do this if you’ve never been in the store, or just now walked four feet inside the door. Suggestions, however, are welcome – demands will make us crabby.

DON’T ask for a discount. This isn’t a garage sale. If you buy a new paperback, you’ll pay at least $8; our used books are only $3 and yes, some are in better shape than others. Our hardcovers are just $5 – and a new one will run you about $20.

DON’T expect us to entertain you. See the “hanging out” comment above – while our customers are very important, sometimes we have to answer the phone or talk to another patron or do paperwork.

DON’T let your children smear their hands all over the counter, the books, and the windows/door. How do you think those things get clean again?

And finally, please DON’T race around the perimeter of the store, glancing at the shelves, and zoom out the door while 1) exclaiming you’ll be back “some other time,” or 2) barely acknowledging our greeting and our “thanks for coming!” That’s just kind of rude.

I don’t think I’m being whiny – most of these are just plain good behavior for customers of any retail establishment. But seriously, check out our local authors. You may have never heard of some of them, but you can get to know them personally and, besides, these books will blow your mind. Really.