Premium Indie Reads: FEATURED AUTHOR: Michael E. Laurence

Our Featured Author, Michael E. Laurence, has just released an exciting political thriller, A One Day War. Get to know him and discover a new book to add to your list.

Tell us something about Michael Laurence. Who are you?

I'm a father of three, living in the American South. I'm an avid read of World War II books, and having kids gave me a different context to my historical interest, of just how awful it must have been to see your children suffer under evil, and be helpless to protect them. I tried to write a book reconciling grand diplomatic history with a focus on a normal, loving family.

And who's the writer? How was A One Day War conceived?

I was re-reading the second volume of William Manchester's magnificent biography of Churchill, "The Last Lion," and it mentioned Guy Burgess visited Churchill the day after Munich. It was a casual throw-away, but I had a thought: What did they discuss that day? That question turned into "A One Day War."

Why did you choose this genre?

I grew up reading thrillers written in the 1960s-1980s. That was a golden age of thrillers. Thrillers in many ways hinge on the quality of the villains. During that timeframe, ex-Nazis were still young enough to be credible villains, and the Cold War made communists natural villains. The books were great because the villains were evocative, very easy to dislike. Now, communism has collapsed and ex-Nazis are dead or in their nineties. So, I set the book in the past, to again have really compelling, evil villains.

Is there a book or author that inspired you to be a writer?

Frederick Forsyth. He is a master of the suspense genre. His first three books are sensational. I highly recommend them to anybody who likes the genre.

What can readers expect when they read A One Day War?

I hope they learn more about Appeasement, more about Churchill's greatness, and the way in which great events impacted ordinary, decent people. Hopefully, its informative and yet still creates characters that the readers engage with emotionally.

Where can they buy a copy?

Kindle and paperback copies are available at Amazon.

Are you releasing a new book anytime soon?

I have some ideas percolating, but no new books are imminent

What do you love about being an author?

I've been an avid reader my whole life, and I relished the challenge of going from being a consumer of books to a producer of books. Its fun to consume great writing, but its also a lot of fun to produce writing. Also, for me at least, the process of writing is connected to the process of sorting out my ideas on a subject. Writing and researching about World War II helped clarify my thoughts and deepen my understanding of the issues. It was a gratifying experience.

What is your message to other authors?

Don't think of writing as something other people do. Do it, if you enjoy it, and don't worry about if people like it.

Tell us where we can find you.

I can be reached at aonedaywar@gmail.com