Categories

Mike McPhail is the award winning Author and Anthologist of the military science fiction series Defending The Future, published by Dark Quest Books. He is a member of the Military Writers Society of America (MWSA), and the creator of the Alliance Archives (All'Arc) series and its related Martial Role-Playing Game (MRPG), a manual-based, percentile system, that realistically portrays the consequences of warfare.

Thank you Mike for answering a few questions for us!  Please tell us about the latest project you've worked on.

Currently we are on the book tour for the latest in the Defending the Future series, So It Begins, a military science fiction anthology, which includes such authors as Jack Campbell, Bud Sparhawk, David Sherman, John C. Wright, CJ Henderson, and many other up-and-coming authors.

Have you received any awards for your work?

Breach the Hull won the 2007 Dream Realm Awards for best anthology, and finalled for Cover Art. So It Begins is just now making the round but it has already finalled in two categories for the 2009 Indie Book Awards.

Do you also do speaking engagements, or seminars?

Mostly panel discussions, although I have helped out at a few writers conferences.

How has your education, profession or background helped you in your writing career? Or conversely, how has you writing success helped you in your  profession?

My goal in life was to be a NASA mission specialist, so in college I studied Aeronautical Engineering, and eventually enlisted in the Air National Guard. All of this background finds its way into my writings.

What kind of other works (books, scripts, poems etc.) have you had published?

Besides being editor of the Defending The Future series, I have several short stories in a number of anthologies. This year I'll be adding Game Designer to my title with the release of the Alliance Archives Martial Role-Playing Game, based on the universe I write in.

Is there any aspect to your profession that gets you in touch with your readers directly?

We are on the science fiction convention circuit, where we sit in on panels and sell many of our books directly.

What will your next project be?

Book III in the Defending The Future series, By Other Means, scheduled for late 2010.

Who inspires you on a personal or business level?

That would be my wife Danielle (Ackley-) McPhail, she is a born writer who can turn even a basic story into something very special, I truly wish I could write like her.

What type of work is the most rewarding or satisfying for you?

Doing the cover art for the books; currently I'm using CGI software (I'm a trained CADD operator) for the designs, so it's all engineering.

What can you recommend for writers who are just getting started and are trying to make a name for themselves?

Make connections. Go to the Conventions and meet people, sit in on panels, talk to the authors, you never know who will be there for you.

How did you get started as a writer?

I was a game designer back in the days, and after my wife's first novel was published, the only way I could hang around with her at the Convention was to also be an author.

Which is your favorite book/work published? Is there a favorite?

Still working on that one.

What does a typical work day look like for you?

Yardwork followed by housework/carpentry, with writing and graphic arts mixed in with my copious free time.

Have you ever had a mentor, or someone who sparked your passion for writing?

Once again, my wife.

Who is your favorite writer/author?

Arthur C. Clarke. His Rendezvous with Rama set the pattern in my brain for what all good science fiction should be.

Finally, a most important question: what was the last song you sang out loud when you were by yourself? :)

The Battle Hymn of the Republic

Thank you Mike! We wish you ongoing success with your Defending The Future series!