with Michael T. Owens

Michael T. Owens is a Florida State University graduate and the author of A Dream Come True and Pick-Up Lines.  His work is also featured in various national publications.  He is the president of Montage Publishing International and founder of the Scatterbrained Writer’s Network (SWN), an online discussion group for writers of all genres.

Urban-Reviews.com: Can you fill us in on A Dream Come True?
Michael T. Owens: A Dream Come True is a cautionary coming-of-age story about three twenty-year olds, Morris “Mookie” Lovett, Pam Rivera, and Fatimus Brown.  Morris lands a record deal and leaves suburban Orlando for glitzy Los Angeles with dreams of becoming a chart-topping rap star.  Hoping to chase dreams of their own, his girlfriend Pam and best friend Fatimus follow him.  Pam dreams of being a Hollywood fitness consultant and one day opening a celebrity salon and spa.  Fatimus, a nerdy mother’s boy, simply wants some excitement in his life.  Soon the fast life turns their dreams into one big nightmare.

UR: What made you jump from being an advertising executive to being a novelist?
MTO: I got fired!  Well, laid off, but that’s basically the same thing to me!  Instead of feeling sorry for myself, I took it as a sign to do something that made me happy in life: writing.

UR: Why did you choose to self-publish your novel?
MTO: If you don’t have a “big” name or some kind of gimmick, agents and traditional publishers will overlook you.  I know this from my experience shopping my first novel.  I didn’t feel like waiting around for someone to tell me if my story was good or bad, or if my writing was up to par or not, so I took matters into my own hands with A Dream Come True. I’m so glad I did.

UR: In A Dream Come True, you used imagery to describe things such as drugs, why did you choose this method?
MTO: In books drugs are usually portrayed in a straight-forward way.  I wanted to take a more poetic approach to it.  It’s creative and I think it will last in readers’ minds.

UR: Did you have to do any research about the music business for this story?
MTO: I dabble in music production so I knew a lot of the behind the scenes details.  I also made several trips to Los Angeles to attend VIP parties, etc. where I observed rappers like Missy Elliott, Busta Rhymes, etc., in action, and of course I hung out with the locals and experienced the nightlife to get a feel for everything.

UR: Are you working on any future projects?
MTO: I’m always working on something.  Under my publishing imprint Montage Publishing International, I’ll be releasing an anthology of short stories by some of today’s hottest Black male writers called: Truth Be Told: Tales of Life, Love, and Drama. Through the ages, women have always wanted to know what men think, feel, and dream about.  Who better to answer these questions than men?  You’ll also see my work in a few more anthologies coming out.  And also, in the back of A Dream Come True there’s a sneak preview to my upcoming novel To Be Happy.

UR: For more publicity for your book, you had an ad out on EBay. Can you shed some light on this?
MTO: Yes.  Since my background is in advertising, I’m always thinking of ways to promote my work.  I needed an inexpensive way to reach a large amount of people.  As a marketing ploy, I auctioned a page of advertising in A Dream Come True.  It received national coverage in Yahoo News and Adweek Magazine.  I gained a lot of exposure.

UR: How did you come up with the name Fatimus Brown for one of your characters?
MTO: Honestly, the majority of the names in my books just pop into my head.  Fatimus Brown is a basic guy who has unique characteristics.  “Fatimus” is a unique sounding name and “Brown” is a basic last name.  I just put the two together and viola!

UR: What advice would you give to aspiring authors?
MTO: Just like with anything, if you practice, you’ll get better.  Be open to criticism.  Always present your best work.

UR: What message do you want readers to gain from your novel?
MTO: Everybody has goals in life but there are right and wrong ways to go about achieving them.  You have to be prepared to face the consequences of your actions.

UR: Anything else you would like to add about yourself or your book?
MTO: I’m personally on a mission to increase the number of minority readers and creative writers, especially Black males.  I didn’t feel I had to write a hardcore “street” novel to reach them.  I knew presenting an entertaining, well-told story dealing with everyday concerns could be just as effective.  Hopefully I’m not wrong.  Anyone can feel free to visit me at: http://www.michaeltowens.com or http://www.getmynovel.com or email me at: askmichaelt@yahoo.com  I’m an author who actually returns emails!
 

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directly from Michael T Owens


Don't forget to check out our review of A Dream Come True in AA Fiction.