It’s that time of the week again!
This week, we have British novelist Michael Brookes. Author of “The Cult of Me”, Brookes is a game
developer when he is not writing stories about the criminal mind:
Megan Cashman: What inspired you to become a writer?
Michael Brookes: I’ve always enjoyed telling stories and I seem to be full of them. I started with short stories and more recently moved into full novels.
Megan Cashman: Describe your writing process
Michael Brookes: Everything starts with an idea, usually in the form of a ‘What if?’ question. For The Cult of Me it started with wondering what would happen to someone who grew up with a power that meant he had no real boundaries.
Megan Cashman: Your novel “The Cult of Me” is about a prison inmate that can be described as a psychopath. What made you want to tackle such a subject?
Michael Brookes: On the face of it the main character might appear as a psychopath, but the reality is a bit more complicated. In essence he’s a kid that hasn’t had to grow up, because he’s ability to invade people’s minds means that he can always do what he wants.
Another aspect that interested me is the angle of bad people doing good things for the wrong reasons.It’s a theme that a lot of my writing covers.
Megan Cashman: What do you think fascinates people about criminals and psychopaths?
Michael Brookes: There are two reasons for this interest. The first is a perceived glamour. Rightly or wrongly there is the idea that the life of certain criminals is an interesting one, compared to what people think are their own lives.
The other reason is one of understanding. Some criminals have a mind set that most people cannot understand. People like to try and understand what they don’t.
Click here to find “The Cult of Me” on Amazon!
Megan Cashman: What sort of future do you think the publishing industry has?
Michael Brookes: A tough question. The big publishers will continue to dominate the actual money making for selling books. I can see programs like KDP Select where authors are paid for readers borrowing their book becoming more significant.
A big issue for authors (and other media content producers)is the devaluation of content. If you look at the prices of e-books in particular they are often less than the price of a cup of coffee. Becoming supported by a more subscription based system seems like a more sustainable way forward as well as supporting new authors.
Here’s where you can learn more about Michael Brookes:
Blog: http://thecultofme.blogspot.co.uk/
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6452691.Michael_Brookes
Twitter: @TheCultofMe
Megan Cashman 
Thanks for having me! If anyone has further questions I would be happy to answer them.
No problem, Michael!