Charline Ratcliff's Blog - Posts Tagged "michael-phillip-cash"
Charline Ratcliff Interviews: Michael Phillip Cash, Part One
Michael, you are working on a new epic fantasy series, the first book of which is: “Schism: The Battle for Darracia.” Can you tell us how you became interested in writing a fantasy genre book/series to begin with? Did you grow up reading authors like MacDonald and Tolkien, or was writing fantasy just something that you felt a calling for?
I love Lord of the Rings and Star Wars. I have played fantasy video games my whole life as well. “Schism: The Battle for Darracia,” sort of played out in my mind before I wrote it. Consequently, it was relatively easy to commit to paper.
Do you find writing fantasy more challenging than any other kind of fiction, due to the requirement of having to create everything yourself? With no facts, (historical or otherwise), to use as stepping stones for a tale?
I didn't think about it until I actually started writing. I had a story and then I realized as I wrote it, that I had to back everything up with a structure to build upon. If the world is completely new, the reality totally my own, it needed to be defined. It was hard to describe everyday things we take for granted and try not to sound silly by inventing names. I did use world history for the political backdrop; I just adjusted the issues to my new little world. People and their challenges are the same, as far as I am concerned. The human condition is universal, even if you are not dealing with "humans."
Michael, you previously shared with us how you became interested in the fantasy world. Now can you share with us how your series “Schism” came to fruition?
My brother and I were playing at inventing a universe with conditions and problems that plague this world. The characters came to life, easily and felt so familiar. They could be found anywhere, they just look different.
In “Schism: The Battle for Darracia” you have explained, (via the back cover), that an ever widening social gap is destroying the harmony of a once peaceful world. Can you give us a brief summation of your vision for this book?
Prince V'sair is the heir apparent to a fractured world. His father married a different species and he has never fit in with the rough and tough Darracians he will someday rule. His own planet is divided into three very diverse cultures that barely tolerate each other. It is a planet fraught with prejudice and social inequality. Add in action, romance, rebellion, fratricide and you have a great adventure that tackles a wide variety of issues. It is a coming of age story, a tale of budding romance, a novel of fate and the choices we make to get here.
And then, of course, what’s your vision for the “Schism” series?
I don't know yet. I actually have the last page of the series done, but I haven't decided how I am going to get there. I am thick into the second book right now and just getting to the climax.
While I understand that this is a fantasy read Michael, is there anything you wish your readers to take away from the tale with regards to our very real world? If so, what would that be?
The most important lesson my mother taught both my brother and myself is: "To thine own self be true." Every time we get just slightly off course, she will remind us of those words. The book is also about faith and belief in yourself.
Lastly, what other tales are in the works once this series is completed?
I have a ghostly crime drama that I will start researching as soon as this one is printed. It is based on truth and is very interesting.
I love Lord of the Rings and Star Wars. I have played fantasy video games my whole life as well. “Schism: The Battle for Darracia,” sort of played out in my mind before I wrote it. Consequently, it was relatively easy to commit to paper.
Do you find writing fantasy more challenging than any other kind of fiction, due to the requirement of having to create everything yourself? With no facts, (historical or otherwise), to use as stepping stones for a tale?
I didn't think about it until I actually started writing. I had a story and then I realized as I wrote it, that I had to back everything up with a structure to build upon. If the world is completely new, the reality totally my own, it needed to be defined. It was hard to describe everyday things we take for granted and try not to sound silly by inventing names. I did use world history for the political backdrop; I just adjusted the issues to my new little world. People and their challenges are the same, as far as I am concerned. The human condition is universal, even if you are not dealing with "humans."
Michael, you previously shared with us how you became interested in the fantasy world. Now can you share with us how your series “Schism” came to fruition?
My brother and I were playing at inventing a universe with conditions and problems that plague this world. The characters came to life, easily and felt so familiar. They could be found anywhere, they just look different.
In “Schism: The Battle for Darracia” you have explained, (via the back cover), that an ever widening social gap is destroying the harmony of a once peaceful world. Can you give us a brief summation of your vision for this book?
Prince V'sair is the heir apparent to a fractured world. His father married a different species and he has never fit in with the rough and tough Darracians he will someday rule. His own planet is divided into three very diverse cultures that barely tolerate each other. It is a planet fraught with prejudice and social inequality. Add in action, romance, rebellion, fratricide and you have a great adventure that tackles a wide variety of issues. It is a coming of age story, a tale of budding romance, a novel of fate and the choices we make to get here.
And then, of course, what’s your vision for the “Schism” series?
I don't know yet. I actually have the last page of the series done, but I haven't decided how I am going to get there. I am thick into the second book right now and just getting to the climax.
While I understand that this is a fantasy read Michael, is there anything you wish your readers to take away from the tale with regards to our very real world? If so, what would that be?
The most important lesson my mother taught both my brother and myself is: "To thine own self be true." Every time we get just slightly off course, she will remind us of those words. The book is also about faith and belief in yourself.
Lastly, what other tales are in the works once this series is completed?
I have a ghostly crime drama that I will start researching as soon as this one is printed. It is based on truth and is very interesting.
Charline Ratcliff Interviews: Author, Michael Phillip Cash, Part Two
Michael, “The Hanging Tree” is your first novella, (although not your first title) and of course my immediate question is: what got you started with writing?
I started writing because I had a story and just tested it out. I can't say that there was an "Aha" moment. I have always dabbled, but CreateSpace gave me the opportunity to actually publish. I have written things over the years, but it is almost impossible to get an agent. Having a site where you can actually bypass an agent, as well as a publisher, opens up horizons to untested talent. You no longer have to be at the right place, at the right time - you can make the right place at the right time!
Moving on to your book, “The Hanging Tree” has a very unique premise. What was it for you that triggered this story?
There is an old tree on Route 107 that has a history of hauntings. Though the "ghosts" are from the early part of the 20th century, the tree is gnarly and awesome looking. Halloween was around the corner, I could see the apple cider, and Goody Bennett told me she had a story to tell. Not really, but she took shape in my mind and one thing lead to another.
On the book’s back cover you mentioned that this tale is loosely based on a local tree with a haunted past on the North Shore of Long Island. How did you come to learn of this tree’s history? Did you grow up near it?
I passed it daily when I went to CW Post College. It was around the corner from a friend's house and that's how I heard of the legend. It was the scene of a horrific accident from the "roaring 20's." My parents used it as an example of the consequence of driving too fast, or drinking and driving.
Why was the tree named: “The Hanging Tree?” Was it really because its branches were so low to the ground, or was there a more sinister meaning?
I had heard it was called the Hanging Tree because the bodies from the accident were strewn in the branches. It is said, that when the light is just right, you can see the bodies of the victims hanging on the limbs of the tree.
In “The Hanging Tree” your readers will meet seventeen-year-old Arielle along with her eighteen-year-old boyfriend Chad. Shortly thereafter, they will also meet the ghostly denizens who call “The Hanging Tree” home. How did you come up with the apparitional aspect of this plot?
I wanted to include very different time periods. Goody Bennett comes from early colonial days. Though there is no record of witch hunts like in Salem, it wasn't a stretch. The area is dotted with old homes and remnants of early settlers in the area. The North Shore of Long Island was an area rich in history with big, beautiful mansions, many dating from a wide variety of time periods. I picked Gibson Girl from the Victorian period and her story is rather brief. Martin and Arthur are inspired from the accident that occurred at the infamous tree. Each is connected in a very special way.
What era is “The Hanging Tree” set in? Are there multiple eras? If so, when are they?
The book starts in the present, and then goes into Long Island during the 1600's with the early British settlers. It skirts around the Victorian era. I did not go into Gibson's girl other than a suggestion of what happened to her, because I actually found it too horrifying. I really got attached to the characters. The last era is World War 1, just around 1917.
What keeps these ghosts tethered to this earthly plain? Why haven’t they moved on into whatever the afterlife is?
They have been cursed by Goody. I can't really reveal more because it’s the thread that holds the story together. You will have to read what the commonality between these grounded ghosts is!
And finally, with Arielle and Chad spending so much time around “The Hanging Tree,” is there a “happily ever after” in their future? Or will they wind up being the newest additions to the ghostly “family” that calls “The Hanging Tree” home?
Again, the choice is theirs, and ultimately yours if you decide to read the book!
I started writing because I had a story and just tested it out. I can't say that there was an "Aha" moment. I have always dabbled, but CreateSpace gave me the opportunity to actually publish. I have written things over the years, but it is almost impossible to get an agent. Having a site where you can actually bypass an agent, as well as a publisher, opens up horizons to untested talent. You no longer have to be at the right place, at the right time - you can make the right place at the right time!
Moving on to your book, “The Hanging Tree” has a very unique premise. What was it for you that triggered this story?
There is an old tree on Route 107 that has a history of hauntings. Though the "ghosts" are from the early part of the 20th century, the tree is gnarly and awesome looking. Halloween was around the corner, I could see the apple cider, and Goody Bennett told me she had a story to tell. Not really, but she took shape in my mind and one thing lead to another.
On the book’s back cover you mentioned that this tale is loosely based on a local tree with a haunted past on the North Shore of Long Island. How did you come to learn of this tree’s history? Did you grow up near it?
I passed it daily when I went to CW Post College. It was around the corner from a friend's house and that's how I heard of the legend. It was the scene of a horrific accident from the "roaring 20's." My parents used it as an example of the consequence of driving too fast, or drinking and driving.
Why was the tree named: “The Hanging Tree?” Was it really because its branches were so low to the ground, or was there a more sinister meaning?
I had heard it was called the Hanging Tree because the bodies from the accident were strewn in the branches. It is said, that when the light is just right, you can see the bodies of the victims hanging on the limbs of the tree.
In “The Hanging Tree” your readers will meet seventeen-year-old Arielle along with her eighteen-year-old boyfriend Chad. Shortly thereafter, they will also meet the ghostly denizens who call “The Hanging Tree” home. How did you come up with the apparitional aspect of this plot?
I wanted to include very different time periods. Goody Bennett comes from early colonial days. Though there is no record of witch hunts like in Salem, it wasn't a stretch. The area is dotted with old homes and remnants of early settlers in the area. The North Shore of Long Island was an area rich in history with big, beautiful mansions, many dating from a wide variety of time periods. I picked Gibson Girl from the Victorian period and her story is rather brief. Martin and Arthur are inspired from the accident that occurred at the infamous tree. Each is connected in a very special way.
What era is “The Hanging Tree” set in? Are there multiple eras? If so, when are they?
The book starts in the present, and then goes into Long Island during the 1600's with the early British settlers. It skirts around the Victorian era. I did not go into Gibson's girl other than a suggestion of what happened to her, because I actually found it too horrifying. I really got attached to the characters. The last era is World War 1, just around 1917.
What keeps these ghosts tethered to this earthly plain? Why haven’t they moved on into whatever the afterlife is?
They have been cursed by Goody. I can't really reveal more because it’s the thread that holds the story together. You will have to read what the commonality between these grounded ghosts is!
And finally, with Arielle and Chad spending so much time around “The Hanging Tree,” is there a “happily ever after” in their future? Or will they wind up being the newest additions to the ghostly “family” that calls “The Hanging Tree” home?
Again, the choice is theirs, and ultimately yours if you decide to read the book!
