Synopsis: Fifteen-year-old Oliver Grain begins his school year fighting off bullies, learning about the boy who committed suicide in his room, and trying to understand why his history teacher, Mr. Gordon, has taken such a personal interest in him.

Do you believe in ghosts? Do you believe you can make bullies simply disappear? Do you believe you can walk through walls?

Mr. Gordon tells Oliver: “When you truly believe anything is possible, you will be able to open doors where there were only walls.” And one of those doors leads Oliver to Provex City, which puts him in far greater danger than he can possibly fathom.

Interview with Michael Pierce

Kellie: Hi Michael. Thank you so much for taking the time to answer a few questions. First off, can you tell us a little bit about yourself and Provex City?

Michael: I wrote a lot in high school and early college, but didn’t see it as anything more than a hobby. It wasn’t until I read the Harry Potter series, right after The Deathly Hallows came out, that I was inspired to begin writing again—and that I could be an author if I set my mind to it. In that inspiration, the Lorne Family Vault series was born, with Provex City being its first book. The original title for Provex City was Shroud Lifted, which I changed while querying agents (and even resubmitted to a few of them with a new version of my query letter and new title…I know that’s frowned upon). The Lorne Family Vault series is young adult fantasy with elements of sci-fi, magical realism, and coming-of-age adventure.

Kellie: From concept to publication, how long did Provex City take to complete?

Michael: Provex City took a long time since it was my first book and I really didn’t know what I was doing. It took me about a year to write and edit. I spent another year submitting to agents and continuing to edit, and then another four to five months doing everything necessary to self-publish after making the decision to stop querying.

Kellie: What is a typical writing day like for you?

Michael: I go through phases of writing and editing. I’ve been mostly editing for the past few months, but I’ll get back into my writing routine soon. I typically write 45 minutes before work, 45 minutes on my lunch, and hopefully a few hours on the weekends. I reserve my weekday evenings for blogging and promotion.

Kellie: Which scene (without giving too much away) was most difficult for you to write?

Michael: Oliver’s dream of Kafka and Cornelius. I rewrote that scene multiple times trying to get the information given and foreshadowing just right since it plays an important role later in the story, Provex City and later in the series.

Kellie: How much of yourself is reflected in your main character, Oliver?

Michael: I tried to remember what I was like at Oliver’s age, the insecurities I had and experiences I longed for. Some of these details helped bring Oliver to life, but as he grows throughout the book and series, he breaks away from me and truly becomes his own person.

Kellie: What do you have planned for your next writing project?

Michael: I’m continuing Oliver’s adventure. I’m finishing the final edits to the second book in the Lorne Family Vault series, SUSY Asylum, which will hopefully be released sometime in April. Later this month I’ll begin writing Book Three in the series.

Kellie: Finally, what was your favorite read of 2012?

Michael: I really loved The Maze Runner and Divergent.

Kellie: Thank you so much, Michael. I hope the new year is good to both you and Oliver.

About the Author
Michael Pierce lives in Southern California with his wife, daughter, and two ultra-protective Chiweenies. Provex City is his debut novel and the first book in the young adult fantasy Lorne Family Vault Series.

Links:
Blog – http://www.michaelpiercebooks.blogspot.com
Twitter – http://www.twitter.com/MrPierceBooks
Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/lornefamilyvault
Goodreads – http://www.goodreads.com/michaelpiercebooks
Website –  http://www.michaelpiercebooks.com.