Ladies & Gentlemen: Michael Scott Miller

Today, I welcome Michael Scott Miller to the Far Edge of Normal. I ran into him on BestsellerBound, a great forum for writers, readers, and anyone interested in talking about stories and books and all sorts of random topics.
How can we find you?

Author website:  www.ladiesandgentlementheredeemers.com
Twitter:  @MichaelScMiller, although I haven’t really been active on Twitter…yet

What do you currently have in print and where can we find your book?

Ahhh, my favorite question.  Literally in print, you can find Ladies and Gentlemen…The Redeemers, my debut novel, on Amazon. In virtual print, the eBook is available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords, Kobo, the Sony Reader store, and a few other locations.

Congratulations! What genre do you write?

I write character-driven fiction, which unfortunately means it tends to land in the overcrowded mainstream/general fiction category.  I’d love to find a slimmer category that it would fit in, but I’ve struggled with that.  If your readers have any ideas, I’d love to hear them.

Do you have cats or other pets? Why or why not?

Ironically, no.  I say ironically because I grew up in a house that had a dog, a guinea pig, a parakeet, tropical fish, and newts (yes, newts).  I actually would love to have a dog, but with three kids, my house has enough activity right now.  That said, I think we are going to be the foster home for the summer for our elementary school’s guinea pig.  He’s spent a couple weekends with us already.  He’s a cute little black and white thing named Oreo.  I’m actually looking forward to it.

Animals do add a whole new level of activity to a house. Sounds like the guinea pig is cute. What inspires your stories?

I like to get inside the characters and I love when readers tell me they are able to connect with them.  With Ladies and Gentlemen…The Redeemers, the idea came to me when I was riding the train into center city Philadelphia for my job at the Philadelphia Inquirer and Daily News.  When I walked through Suburban Station, I would routinely see singers or musicians performing in the corridors there.  My mind first wandered to wondering what would happen if someone gathered together these seemingly destitute folks and molded them into a musical act.  Could they come together with a music industry promoter and be turned into a successful band?  This thought stayed with me trip after trip, until it finally struck me that while I might not have the necessary skill set to form and promote a musical act, the idea might make for an interesting tale.

What are your favorite movies, tv shows, or books to read? Is there one that you could watch/read over and over without ever tiring of it?

I generally thrive on variety and have a hard time watching or reading something over and over again, but Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy is one notable exception.  Douglas Adams was brilliantly clever and funny and could turn a phrase like no one else.

I enjoy reading him, too. If you could meet one historical person for dinner, who would it be and why?

I was discussing this question over dinner with my family, and my eight year old daughter immediately responded with “Ruth Wakefield.”  Feeling momentarily deficient in my knowledge of history, I asked her who that was.  She replied, “The inventor of chocolate chip cookies.”  I mused for a moment and thought, good call.

I'd love to invite her to dinner, too, especially if she brings cookies. If you could travel anywhere, fictional or real, where would you go?

Neverland.  Then I wouldn’t have to grow up

You and me, both. I don't want to grow up. If you could time travel, what is one event you would want to see in person, either future or past?

The first one that comes to mind is Woodstock.  I’m not even that big a fan of 1960’s music (well, outside of being a Deadhead), but it must have been great to be there.

Thanks for hosting me on your blog, Jaleta.  And I’m looking forward to reading Nexus Point.

Thanks for stopping by, Mike. It's been a pleasure. I'm looking forward to your book.