Interview with novelist Michael Jordan

Author Michael Jordan joins me today. We’re chatting about his newest thriller novel, The Company of Demons.

During his virtual book tour, Michael will be awarding a $50 Amazon or Barnes and Nobel (winner’s choice) gift card to a lucky randomly drawn winner. To be entered for a chance to win, use the form below.  To increase your chances of winning, feel free to visit his other tour stops and enter there, too!

Bio:

Michael Jordan obtained his undergraduate degree from Ohio Wesleyan University, with highest honors, and his law degree from George Washington University, where he was a member of the Law Review. A trial lawyer and arbitrator for over three decades, he has been recognized as an Ohio Super Lawyer and named to Best Lawyers in America. A member of the International Association of Crime Writers, The Company of Demons is his first novel.

An avid traveler, Michael has climbed Mt. Fuji, swam in The Devil’s Pool on the cusp of Victoria Falls, trekked a glacier in Patagonia, and visited numerous other countries. Yes—an international thriller lies in the future! He has also acted in several theatrical productions and his experience on stage is helpful in creating characters for his novels. He is currently working on his next book, a thriller set during the closing stages of WWII.

A native of Saginaw, Michigan, Michael and his wife, Linda Gross Brown, a soft pastel artist, divide their time between homes in Rocky River, Ohio, and Longboat Key, Florida. They enjoy traveling, pleasure boating, and very cold martinis.

Welcome, Michael. Please share a little bit about your current release.

Years ago, the notorious Torso Killer brutally murdered at least twelve people and then disappeared without a trace, eluding even the legendary Eliot Ness. My book draws on this fascinating bit of Cleveland history to ask the question: what if the killer returned today for one final act of vengeance?

What inspired you to write this book?

I found the story absolutely compelling—brutal murders, a frustrated Eliot Ness, and the complete disappearance of the murderer.


Excerpt from The Company of Demons: 

A deep breath helped to calm me. Oyster’s death had brought an ugly past alive. Just as I’d been assuring everyone, though, there was nothing wrong. My main task for the day was to pick Molly up after school and hope that she wouldn’t be too disappointed when she learned that we wouldn’t be visiting the skateboard park. We would head straight home for a quiet, uneventful spaghetti dinner. Cathy would have polished and set the oaken table. We would talk of things other than serial killers. She would remind me of her upcoming birthday dinner, with her sister and brother-in-law. Her parents would stare down at us from faded color photographs arranged in thin wooden frames on checkered blue-and-white wallpaper. There were photographs of my mom, too, with her tight-lipped smile.

One photo of my father, handsome in a blue uniform, hung on the wall. Whenever Cathy said grace, my eyes would wander to the particular picture, and I would recall games of catch, walleye fishing on the lake, our hikes through the Metroparks. We’d wander the trails there most Saturday mornings, just my dad and me. Afterward, he’d take me to Pete’s Hotdogs on Lorain, and we’d gorge on dogs stuffed into steamed buns and topped with local Stadium mustard and greasy fried onions. Those were the memories I’d try to focus on.

But I could never, ever block out the rest.

What exciting story are you working on next?

A WWII thriller involving a plot by AXIS agents to derail our atomic bomb program at Los Alamos, New Mexico

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

I have always thought of myself that way. I’ve written since I was a kid—poetry, short stories, novellas.

Do you write full-time? If so, what's your work day like? If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find time to write?

I do not write full time. I practiced law for many years, but now work as an arbitrator. I like to write in blocks of time, so try and set hours aside whenever possible.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

Staring blankly out of the window, trying to convince myself that creative thoughts will come.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

An archeologist.

Links:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Buy links:
Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Greenleaf Book Group | Books-A-Million | 800CEOREAD

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