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Michael Schmicker

Goodreads Author

Website

http://www.MichaelSchmicker.com

Genre

Paranormal, Spirituality, Science

Influences

E.B. White, Italo Calvino, J.D. Salinger

Member Since

April 2014

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Michael Schmicker is an investigative journalist, Amazon Top 100 best-selling author, and science writer focused on consciousness research.

Michael began his writing career as a crime reporter for a suburban Dow-Jones newspaper in Connecticut, and worked as a freelance reporter in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War, and Op-Ed writer for the Wall Street Journal Asia,

A nationally known writer on frontier science, Michael is the co-author of "The Gift, ESP: The Extraordinary Experiences of Ordinary People" (St. Martin's Press (USA)/Penguin Random House (UK). His first book, "Best Evidence," has emerged as a classic in the field of scientific anomalies reporting since its first publication in 2000. BBC radio/documentary producer Keith Parso Michael Schmicker is an investigative journalist, Amazon Top 100 best-selling author, and science writer focused on consciousness research.

Michael began his writing career as a crime reporter for a suburban Dow-Jones newspaper in Connecticut, and worked as a freelance reporter in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War, and Op-Ed writer for the Wall Street Journal Asia,

A nationally known writer on frontier science, Michael is the co-author of "The Gift, ESP: The Extraordinary Experiences of Ordinary People" (St. Martin's Press (USA)/Penguin Random House (UK). His first book, "Best Evidence," has emerged as a classic in the field of scientific anomalies reporting since its first publication in 2000. BBC radio/documentary producer Keith Parsons named it one of the 10 most influential books dealing with the survival of consciousness question. Michael is a member of The Society for Scientific Exploration, where he has reviewed books for the Journal of Scientific Exploration, and contributed to EdgeScience magazine.

His latest book is "What Comes Next? An Investigative Reporter Uncovers Quantum Physics' Hidden Afterlife Hypothesis," (May 2024). Over nine million Americans have reported a near death experience (NDE). They’re virtually unanimous in their conclusion that the afterlife is real. Quantum physics suggests they may be right. As I show in this book, we’ve got strong scientific evidence from near-death-experiences research that our consciousness, our spirit, our soul – whatever we choose to call that which ultimately makes us be us – survives death. Quantum physics offers a modern, logical, scientific explanation for why that afterlife is possible. Our consciousness is not made of matter. The death and dissolution of the physical brain doesn’t affect our non-material consciousness.

Michael is also author of "The Witch of Napoli,” historical fiction with a paranormal twist, set in Italy and England in 1899. On March 6, 2015, it made the Amazon Top 100, ranking #41 in paid books out of 3.3 million books available in the Kindle Bookstore. That same day, it hit #1 in both the Historical Fantasy and Victorian Historical Romance categories in three countries simultaneously - the U.S., Canada and England. It spent 68 consecutive weeks as a Top 20 Best Seller in the "Italian Historical Fiction" category, with an Audible audiobook debuting on Amazon in July 2016. Amazon subsequently selected "The Witch of Napoli" as one of 25 Historical Romance Bestsellers to be featured by Amazon's new "Prime Reading" program.

Michael’s interest in investigating the paranormal began as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Thailand where he first encountered a non-Western culture and people who readily accept the reality of ghosts and spirits, reincarnation, mediumship, divination and other persistently reported phenomena unexplainable by current Science. He spent his first year in Bangkok teaching English to middle school students at the royal Buddhist monastery of Wat Bowonniwet, and the subsequent two years writing and producing with Thai colleagues a Sesame Street-inspired educational television series for the Thai Ministry of Education.

Before joining Peace Corps, he studied documentary film production at New York University and the British Film Institute. He holds a B.A. in Philosophy; and earned his Master's in Educational Communications (Television) from the University of Hawaii.

He lives and writes in Honolulu, Hawaii, on a mountaintop overlooking Waikiki and Diamond Head crater. ...more

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I really enjoyed The Witch of Napoli. Is there any chance you're going to develop a series around Tommaso Labella? He's a great character with a lot of potential. I'd love to see him investigate Nigel Huxley's misdeeds and bring him to justice. I felt kind of cheated after Elsa's disappearance from the story shortly after her disclosure to Tommaso of Huxley's abuses. Take care, be well, and happy reading! Denny

Michael Schmicker Aloha Denny:

Thanks for the question. A sequel is tempting. I had a lot of fun creating the novel’s narrator, Tomaso. He’s me when I was just starting…moreAloha Denny:

Thanks for the question. A sequel is tempting. I had a lot of fun creating the novel’s narrator, Tomaso. He’s me when I was just starting my own journalism career. He’s cocky, curious; handy with a camera and pen; determined to see the world. And of course, it would be great to pursure Huxley for his misdeeds -- and the hundred pounds he owes Alessandra after her Naples sitting.

That said, I'm not a natural fiction writer; I primarily write non-fiction, and it's equally tempting to say I've had my fling with fiction.The time commitment to writing a second novel is scary. .A novel is a nightmare for the amateur, and a challenge even for a pro. It requires playing with a Rubik’s cube of characters, plot, subplots, pacing, dialogue, style, emotional arc – pieces which the writer must move in a certain sequence, and at the proper moment, to propel the tale forward, hold the fickle reader’s attention, and arrive at a successful denouement. Historical fiction raises the complexity another level. Where do you find information in the cost of a plate of pasta in 19th century Napoli? How much history should be included? When and where do you drop it in? How do you share it without slowing the story and boring readers? It took me 18 months to write THe Witch of Napoli; I can write a non-fiction book in half the time, and I've got a long list of possible book ideas in my head.

And yet... it's so tempting to resurrect Tommaso. He would be in his early 40s, in Rome, editor of the Messaggero, with Doffo still working for him. Mussolini has taken power in Italy; the Fascists and Nazi movements are sweeping Europe; the British aristocracy (including Huxley) and the Catholic Church are sympathetically cheering their rise to power. Everyone is nervous about the future of their family, their business, their country, and a shadowy, Italian woman psychic everyone calls "the witch of Roma" claims to have the answers.

Tempting...

Thanks for your kind comments about the Witch of Napoli, and I'll let you know if I do decide to take a crack at it!
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Thank you for your kind message earlier today! I will post a review of "The Witch of Napoli" next week. I will let you know when it's up on my blog. I was wondering if you would consider sending me a copy of "The Gift ESP: The Extraordinary Experiences of Ordinary People" in exchange for a review? It looks really interesting, and I would love to read it! All the best,

Michael Schmicker Aloha Cecile:
I would be delighted to send you a copy of The Gift:ESP. If you have an interest in ESP, I believe you'll enjoy it. It's a non-fiction bo…moreAloha Cecile:
I would be delighted to send you a copy of The Gift:ESP. If you have an interest in ESP, I believe you'll enjoy it. It's a non-fiction book. I co-wrote it with a clinical psychologist from Duke University whose mother collected 12,000 anecdotal stories of spontaneous ESP experiences.Most of the reports come from the 1930s-1960s, but we did include some recent cases, including a chapter on strange 9-11 premonitions. Would you prefer a Kindle or paperpack copy? For Kindle, I would need your email address; for the opaperback, I would need your street address.You can send the information to my author address -- schmickermichael@gmail.com.
Cheers,
Michael
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Michael Schmicker’s books

Average rating: 3.8 · 2,996 ratings · 387 reviews · 14 distinct works • Similar authors

	The Witch of Napoli 3.78 avg rating — 2,854 ratings — published 2015 — 11 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Gift: ESP, the Extraordinary Experiences of Ordinary People by Sally Rhine Feather, Michael Schmicker (Goodreads Author) 3.96 avg rating — 56 ratings — published 2005 — 9 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Best Evidence 4.08 avg rating — 49 ratings — published 2001 — 5 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	What Comes Next? : An Investigative Reporter Uncovers Quantum Physics' Hidden Afterlife Hypothesis 3.88 avg rating — 8 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Listener 4.33 avg rating — 6 ratings — published 2010 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Old McDonald-San's Farm 4.67 avg rating — 3 ratings — published 1997	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	What Comes Next?: An Investigative Journalist Uncovers Quantum Physics' Hidden Afterlife Hypothesis it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 1 rating — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Three techies try entrepreneurship: John Agsalud's ISDI story. (TIGR).(Hawaii's small software engineering community): An article from: Hawaii Business 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	What Comes Next?: An Investigative Reporter Uncovers Quantum Physics' Hidden Afterlife Hypothesis 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Michael Schmicker: Best Evidence : 2nd Edition (Paperback); 2002 Edition by Michael Schmicker (Goodreads Author), Unknown Author 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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Michael Schmicker's Blog

Do you survive death?

I'm honored.

BBC radio/documentary producer Keith Parsons recently named "Best Evidence" one of the 10 most influential books dealing with the afterlife question.

I wrote it Best Evidence 18 years ago, but it's still selling modestly.. Why? My guess: aging Baby Boomers wants to know -- is there any hope?. Based on the scientific evidence I uncovered researching the book, there is indeed.

Don't be Read more of this blog post »

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Published on February 02, 2018 15:42 • Tags: afterlife, death, paranormal, survival-of-consciousness

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Michael is Currently Reading

Michael Schmicker is currently reading

The Ark Before Noah: Decoding the Story of the Flood

by Irving Finkel

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Apr 09, 2019 11:02PM

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Babies Are Cosmic: Signs of Their Secret Intelligence

by Elizabeth Carman

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Mar 18, 2019 10:33PM

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MORE True Time Travel Stories: Amazing Real Life Stories in The News (Time Travel Books Book 2)

by Richard Bullivant

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Feb 20, 2019 10:29PM

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Michael Schmicker is now friends with Kiran Bhat
Jun 20, 2024 02:47PM · like

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Quotes by Michael Schmicker (?)

“She exuded a raw, animal magnetism that left boys like me tongue-tied, and made men ignore their wives and crowd up close.”
― Michael Schmicker, The Witch of Napoli

tags: sexuality

5 likes

“As we Italians say, the husband is like the government at Rome, all pomp; the wife is like the mafia, all power.”
― Michael Schmicker, The Witch of Napoli

2 likes

“You have to gnaw the bone that's thrown you.”
― Michael Schmicker, The Witch of Napoli

1 likes

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Michael’s Quotes

“Girls are funny. If they fall for you, they do what they want—their mothers be damned.”
― Michael Schmicker, The Witch of Napoli

tags: love

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“Women have been deceiving men since the Garden of Eden. They’ve had centuries of practice.”
― Michael Schmicker, The Witch of Napoli

tags: male-female-relationships

1 likes

“She exuded a raw, animal magnetism that left boys like me tongue-tied, and made men ignore their wives and crowd up close.”
― Michael Schmicker, The Witch of Napoli

tags: sexuality

5 likes

“No matter how beautiful women are, they’re always worried that they aren’t attractive enough. They need to be reassured. A few don’t, but even they appreciate the attention.”
― Michael Schmicker, The Witch of Napoli

tags: sexuality

1 likes

“She only had a few coins to her name, but she had the Midas touch when it came to turning destitution into dreams.”
― Michael Schmicker, The Witch of Napoli

tags: confidence-and-attitude

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Michael’s Friend Comments

Comments (showing 1-5) post a comment »

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message 5: by Rochelle

Jan 17, 2017 12:08AM

Thank you for befriending me! I'm honored. Have you heard Silverstein's reading recordings? Worth a listen if you can find it. Waiting for The Giving Tree to be required reading at schools. Good luck on the next endeavor.

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message 4: by LJ

Jun 23, 2016 03:38AM

Thank you for the friends request, Michael !
Loved reading The Witch of Napoli; thank you for writing it.
I finished the book yesterday ....now, I miss Allessandra / Eusapia ..:-)
Greetings,
LJ
(the Netherlands)

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message 3: by Majenta

May 26, 2016 10:10AM

Happy Thursday, Michael! Friend Request accepted, thanks for Requesting! Congratulations on your publishing success. Have a good day.

Best wishes from Majenta

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message 2: by Emma

Jun 18, 2015 02:13PM

Thanks for the invite Michael. I found The Witch Of Napoli absolutely fascinating - it was a real surprise! Thanks for the opportunity to read it, I'll be reviewing soon too :)

PS. I have seen the film version of The Shining and I agree it is great!

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message 1: by Melissa

Jan 26, 2015 08:52PM

Yes, I absolutely love the original version of Rosemary's Baby- the updated version last year not so much. Thanks for adding me.

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