Moving onto Day 3 of the Blogger Book Fair! Still more great books to be found. Don’t forget to check the main site for more giveaways, events, and new books to discover.

Today I have an interview with Michael Cargill, author of Underneath.

Look at the person sitting just across from you. It doesn’t matter whether they’re a loved one, a friend, or a complete stranger.

Now look at their face. Are they happy? Are they sad? Or are they angry? Can you even tell?

How well do you actually know the people closest to you?

Have you ever seen the real person that lies just underneath what you see…?

Book on Amazon US – http://amzn.com/B008C3HIA2
On Smashwords – http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/172660

1. Which books/authors have most influenced you as an author and why?

Without a doubt, Stephen King has been my greatest influence.  In school I was mostly reading the Dragonlance fantasy books, and purely by chance I read Pet Semetary when I was about 16 which just blew me away.  His main strength is his ability to create great characters that feel very lifelike.  He knows how to make you ‘feel’ the characters without too much hand holding, and there is always just the right amount of humour as well.

2. If you could meet one of your favorite fictional characters, who would you choose and why?

I’m sitting here thinking “Erm, I dunno” for this one.  Maybe Leland Gaunt, the shop owner from Needful Things.  He’s never out of stock of the things that you really need, which would be handy if I was holding the World Slinky Championships on my stairs and someone’s ‘linky went on the blink.

Batman is pretty cool, so meeting him would be great.  Thing is, I’d be tempted to steal something from his belt and a clip round the ear from Bats would be like getting hit with a hammer.

3. What fictional world would you most like to visit?

Definitely not Gotham City, ‘cos it’s a complete dump, it always seems to be raining, and it reminds me of London.  How about… Middle Earth?  Gandalf is supposed to be a powerful wizard, yet he doesn’t cast so much as a single fireball.  I reckon I could steal everything from his belt before he even knew what was going on, the silly old duffer.

4. What advice would you give your pre-published self, knowing what you know now?

One word: plastics.  No, wait, that’s from The Graduate.  I would actually tell my silly, younger self to take proof-reading more seriously.  As in, it isn’t possible to do it all yourself.  The amount of errors that an author simply can’t see is staggering.

5. We apparently dodged a bullet and avoided the Mayan apocalypse in 2012. But as they say, “winter is coming.” What three things do you want to have on hand when the Others come down from beyond the Wall?

Something that can be used to freeze the oceans, and a pair of ice skates to use to travel across the ice.  A Kindle would keep me entertained until the battery ran out.  I’d be like a really crap version of the Silver Surfer.

Bio:

Michael Cargill is an up and coming author from England. In mid-2011 he published his first book, and has gone on to publish several more.

Although known for his dramatic and engaging stories, he is also a satirist and humorist. He encourages people to take a look at his humorous work

Satire humour website – http://michaelcargill.wordpress.com/
Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/MichaelCargillAuthor