Hello everyone,

To new friends and followers - and those who are just passing thru - WELCOME! I'm Mike. Most people call me Fig. Either one sits well with me so take your pick. I hope I get to meet/know some if not all of you as well so comment as you see fit and let's talk about some good 'ol writing.

My novel publishes on August 4th 2020 - a mere 8 days away. Man, it's been a crazy road, albeit an exciting one. Watching my book go from a word document to a query letter to a pitch to an agent to the publisher - then to the green light and drawn up contract alone was wild. Surreal sums it up best for me (like most of what 2020 feels like for all of us).

Then began the editing process, which for me was a scary proposition. What if I had an editor chop this thing to bits? What if they thought it needed a ton of work? What the IF IF IF...

Instead, my editor and I had a productive relationship of mutual respect with minor edits. I truly was paired with one hell of a an editor and team over at Permuted Press. I was blessed with that.

There is some stuff in the middle that I would like to touch on in another blog post, but it included: art work, art direction, book layout, press kits, and final edits that followed. All of which took patience and work, but felt more like mini goals to get done rather than impending doom of say, writers block.

It all leads to here; 8 days away. I am now doing media to building to the pub date which is August 4th; just 9 days shy of my birthday. Ever since I was a little Fig, August has always been a weird month for me. Yes it was my birthday month which meant lots pool and presents and bbq's with the friends and fam, but it also meant that summer was rapidly coming to a close. The Johnny pumps would be sealed and the parks would slowly be emptied and well, SCHOOL would come back around. Which I was a total half nerd so and loved school, but I played sports and music and so I basically blended in with all the circus folk. It all was just one big train for me to ride.

My birthday would roar around that July 31st corner and people would start bemoaning the end of summer. I'd agree but secretly be in love with the doldrums that summer becomes - and the last drag of innocent and no so innocent (as we got older) good times that would surely lead into an early November NYC patented blizzard. The blizzard of 1995 comes to mind but that was a January. November, January, same thing: cold, dreary, and weather designed to destroy your LIFE.

But here we are, July 27th, 2020. August 4th is coming. The Slow Midnight on Cypress Avenue is a mere 8 days away. My birthday comes next. I can already hear the whine in the chorus of voices: summer is over already, can you believe it - but not as loud as other years as the coronavirus has most of us shut in.

Me? I couldn't be happier - or more excited - just like the August's of my entire life up until this point. My dream and personal goal to be a published author is a mere 8 days away. So glad you're here to take the ride. My name is Mike. Most people call me Fig. Love to get to know you all. Say hello. Drop a line. Whine that summer is almost over. It's cool. Just glad you are reading this blog. Maybe you'll even pick up my book.

The Slow Midnight on Cypress Avenue is 8 days away.

Shine on you crazy diamonds,

M