SIME-GEN.COM 

INTERVIEW

10/15/2003 By Laurraine Tutihasi

laurraine@mac.com

http://www.weasner.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

 laurraine@mac.com

 http://www.weasner.com/

 

Editor of Sime~Gen Perspectives Newsletter, published monthly; Mainstream Reviews gatemaster; and

Mystery Interviews gatemaster.

 

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.

Perplex Vision 2000, published by Protea Publishing in Atlanta, is a “psychological drama.” The book is a story of alien contact with humans from the alien perspective.

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.

 

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. 

“My imagination just stays in tune with the world.” Anka said. “I don’t have to invent anything. It’s all out there. You just have to see it, and put it into a different perspective.”

In addition to writing, Anka spends time racing motorcycles, a hobby that nearly took his life in 1985. The hobby lends expertise to Anka’s second book, Repent, which opens with a scene at the Daytona 500,
where a rider is involved in a serious crash. His second book is expected to be in print this summer. 

The nine-year Mission resident also wants to do good with his books. He plans to give a portion of the proceeds to help support children with disabilities.  The cause is something he is very dedicated to, as one of his daughters has Down’s Syndrome.

Anka “would like to spend more time helping children with special needs reach their full potential, and to help change people’s views on how people that are mentally challenged are perceived.”

 

Books In Print Contest
Bio Comments and Responses In The Works
Perplex Perplex Reviews Purchase
Repent Repent Reviews Links
Where Credit is Due Reviews by Mike

mikeanka@sympatico.ca