THE STORY BEHIND THE STORY by MICHAEL GARRETT

THE STORY BEHIND THE STORY by MICHAEL GARRETT
Thursday, May 11, 2023 by Patti Shene

FEATURED BOOK: Captive

AUTHOR: Michael Garrett

PUBLISHER: Kindle

GENRE: Christian Suspense

SERIES OR STAND ALONE: Stand alone

TARGET AGE: Young adult and above

IT IS MY PLEASURE TO WELCOME AUTHOR MICHAEL GARRETT TO PATTI’S PORCH. MICHAEL SHARES HIS STORY OF WHY A WRITER SHOULD NEVER GIVE UP ON A WRITING DREAM.

MICHAEL IS OFFERING A GIVEAWAY! SIMPLY LEAVE A COMMENT BELOW TO ENTER THE DRAWING FOR AN EBOOK COPY OF CAPTIVE. (MICHAEL IS OFFERING A COPY TO TWO WINNERS!)

THE STORY BEHIND THE STORY

Michael Garrett

My upcoming Christian suspense release, Captive, has a story of its own to tell.

In the late 1980s I completed my first secular novel, Keeper, and submitted it to one of the top literary agents at the time. My high hopes were dashed when he gave me a scathing response; This doesn’t work at any level. It will never sell.

I was devastated. I had poured my heart and soul into this book; how could I have been so wrong as to actually believe it was good?

After awhile, I got angry. Why would a respected literary agent be so brutal? His opinion applied to no one but himself, so I set out to prove him wrong and persisted with submissions to other agents and publishers. Soon, the novel that was predicted to never sell sold out its initial printing and was optioned for a movie. Now, over thirty years later, I still receive royalties.

I learned a valuable lesson through that experience and I hope my fellow writers will glean from it as well: No one is the ultimate authority in this industry. No one.

If you believe in yourself, never give up.

Over the years my life has changed. No one is the same now as they were thirty years ago. I decided to re-tell the Keeper story from a Christian perspective and take it in a new direction. Captive is the result: Elise Farmington, rescued from certain death by good Samaritan David Stetson, suffers from PTSD and can't recall the accident, mistakenly believing instead that she's been kidnapped. Trapped together in isolation by a freak ice storm, Elise realizes that her misperception has become a reality when she's held captive by a lonely, desperate man who succumbs to temptation, falls in love with her, and longs to hold her forever.

She owed him her life, but did she have to be his forever?

I hope you’ll give it a try.

You might also consider my woman-in-jeopardy Christian suspense novel Over the Edge. A newbie Christian, Larissa Baxter, has been in hiding to avoid prosecution for a crime she didn’t commit. Although all charges have been dropped, she remains reluctant to resurface just yet. But just when she considers living publicly again, a new threat catches her by surprise and her life is in greater danger than ever.

For the second time in her life someone wanted Larissa Baxter dead . . .

And watch out for Nothing to Lose, coming soon, and find out how Larissa got into this mess in the first place.

Many blessings to you all!

BUY LINK FOR CAPTIVE: https://tinyurl.com/2v55ehp6

DON’T FORGET TO LEAVE A COMMENT TO BE PLACED IN THE DRAWING TO WIN AN EBOOK COPY OF CAPTIVE BETWEEN NOW AND MONDAY, MAY 22ND AT MIDNIGHT MT. (MICHAEL IS OFFERING A COPY TO TWO WINNERS!)

BY LEAVING A COMMENT, YOU GRANT PERMISSION FOR YOUR EMAIL TO BE REVEALED TO THE AUTHOR IF YOU ARE THE WINNER TO FACILITATE RECEIPT OF YOUR BOOK.

Michael Garrett holds the distinction of having served as Stephen King’s first editor and publisher. He’s one of the world's top independent book editors, living in a small Alabama town. His life revolves around God, his wife of 35+ years, Sharon, two adult children, five grandchildren, a dachshund, and one grand dog.

As a former Writer's Digest School Editorial Associate and contracted editor with Pocket Books and Kensington Publishing, Michael has worked with scores of highly successful authors, as well as thousands of new writers seeking publication. For over twenty years he taught a highly acclaimed writing workshop series coast-to-coast.

Michael is a devoted Christian who is truly blessed. “God has given me so much. All of the goodness in my life comes directly from Him.”

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Comments

Mary From Thaxton At 5/21/2023 7:16:53 PM

Loved your story behind the story!! Now, I would love to read your story!

Reply by: Patti Shene

Hi Mary! Thank you so much for stopping by. You may just get a chance to read Michael's story!

Aubrey From Upstate NY At 5/20/2023 9:52:12 PM

If God has given us something to say, He's going to make sure it's heard! Thanks for the great reminder and encouragement towards tenacity!

Reply by: Patti Shene

Hi Aubrey. Thank you so much for stopping by and adding to the conversation.

Katherine Pasour From North Carolina At 5/18/2023 1:45:36 PM

I enjoyed your story, Michael, and your encouragement to never give up. Writing is tough enough, but the publishing aspect is enough to bring fear into the hearts of every author.