Heather’s Bookshelf: Author Interview with Michael Kenneth Smith
Book Titles: In the Shadow of Gold
Released: 12/1/20
Genre: Historical Fiction
Interview by Heather L. Barksdale
What inspired you to write “In the Shadow of the Gold”?
Smith: Lost gold can always be an intriguing story. The lost Confederate gold has befuddled historians and treasure seekers for over 150 years, so I’ve always wanted to tap that reader interest.
Is there anything that you want readers to know about you, your writing process, or your book?
Smith: In this book, I wanted readers to understand the plight of slaves before and after they were emancipated. When a group of emancipated slaves gathered in the camp where Ellie led them, each individual had a talent…something that added to the mix of trying to survive. I did not want them to appear as worthless people.
How did you come up with the names of your main characters?
Smith: Yancey, the main male character name, is a solid southern male name and has a ring to it that might connote that he was different and not a run-of-the-mill young
man. Ellie and all the ex-slave characters' names were taken from slave ship manifests during that period.
Are there any tips that you would like to share with other aspiring authors?
Smith: Find a subject about which you have some knowledge. Place your story at a time in which you are comfortable. These two things will allow your new story to flow and seem natural, freeing you up to execute the more subtle aspects of writing.
When you encounter writer’s block, what do you do to break yourself out of it?
Smith: Just start typing. Type anything, but start. It always works.
If "In the Shadow of the Gold" were adapted into a movie, who would you like to see cast to play your lead characters?
Smith: Actually, this book is being made into a movie script as this is written. Truthfully, I have not thought about who would play the main characters because I’m waiting for the finished script.
What is your favorite book, genre, and/or author?
Smith: Based on style, I like Hemingway. If he were writing today, his work might not get much notice because he was so efficient with words. Today’s popular authors use a lot of description, so much so that sometimes the story gets lost. Even though I loved the book “Cold Mountain” by Charles Frazer, it's an example of superfluous description (IMHO).
What are you working on next?
Smith: A WW2 novel about how two unlikely participants come together in the end. The male is a young Polish fighter pilot and the female is a Russian Night Witch. You might ask how does this apply to question 5) above. I speak Russian, have 3500 hours of flying experience and love WW2…:)
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