Michael Gesellchen lives in Minnesota with his wife and two children. He’s passionate about all things spiritual and supernatural and enjoys bringing these topics to life through characters and storytelling. Michael loves to entertain and engage readers in thinking about what might exist beyond the world of the five senses, and bringing awareness to the soul. He believes all people are on a spiritual journey to find the light within them.
1) Have you always wanted to be a writer? Who or what inspired you to be a one?
I started writing about twenty years ago and fell in love with it. I was working a data entry job just out of college and due to the nature of the repetitive work, I quickly found my mind wandering and soon discovered many stories running through my head. I kept a notepad next to me at my work desk and little by little started writing the stories down. One day I opened my desk drawer and found six notepads filled with characters and writings. I transferred them to a word document and eventually turned them into novels.
I’ve always loved creating things, whether it be books or any other creative project. I find that creativity feeds my soul and for me, doing something creative each day is just as important to my overall well-being as exercise and eating a balanced diet. In other words, creativity helps me stay balanced in all areas of life and is a great inspiration for me to keep writing.
2) What, in your opinion, is the most difficult part of the writing process?
Rewriting is the most difficult part of the writing process for me. I’ve always had a strong and vivid imagination so I can kick out a rough draft fairly quickly, but then I spend months rewriting and molding it into a manuscript that’s vivid, well written, and flows easily. I find this part of the process to be tedious but it’s what makes a good story great.
3) What is your preferred genre(s) to write?
I classify my writing genre as Speculative Supernatural Fiction. I have a passion for all things spiritual, supernatural, and paranormal. I consider these things to be the great mysteries of the universe and this tends to shape my writing. Is it different from the genre(s) you usually read? I tend to read similar genres in which I write. It’s a passion for me and something that makes my heart sing. I love all things fantasy, paranormal, and supernatural.
4) What is your book about?
The Resurrectionist series follows a young protagonist named William Stark who comes from a peculiar town with an ominous past which now town thrives on a booming ghost tourism industry. The town was made famous by a documentary on the paranormal and is known for attracting psychics, soothsayers, ghost hunters, and paranormal investigators. Will just wants to be a normal kid from a normal town and shuns the whole paranormal vibe. He’s ultimately recruited into a paranormal investigation group because he unknowingly has unique abilities that allow him to cross over into the spiritual realm. Will is ultimately forced by circumstances beyond his control to work with this group when the love of his life goes missing. He embarks on a hero’s type quest to enter a treacherous netherworld and fight to win the soul of his true love.
5) Do you have a favorite character from the ones you created? Tell us a few things about them.
William Stark is the main protagonist in the first two books of the Resurrectionist Series. He’s my favorite character. Will is the reluctant hero who’s called into action when the love of his life goes missing and is forced to take matters into his own hands. Will is a flawed adolescent who’s learning to grow into who he is. He struggles with a confused faith and heart. An anxiety disorder often prevents him from being his authentic self and expressing his true emotions. He often prefers to stay hidden from the real world, blend in, and not draw attention to himself.
6) What does success mean to you?
I enjoy writing books that entertain readers. My goal is to write books that are fast-paced, suspenseful, filled with dangers and pitfalls; but I also want to engage readers in thinking about what might exist beyond the world of the five senses. My writing often includes what I consider to be existential or spiritual themes. Light overcoming the darkness, never giving up hope, knowing that no matter where we are in life’s journey (this life or the next) there’s always a higher power who is reaching out to us and guiding us to something better.
You can find author Michael Gesellchen and his work on:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B092JPTHSN
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23006765-the-resurrectionist
Author Website: https://www.resurrectionistseries.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/GesellchenMike
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Michael-Gesellchen-Author-101967148765387
