Meet Michael Kenneth Smith Author of The Postman, Scarred, Home Again and The Thin Gray Line

Bookpleasures.com welcomesas our guest, award-winning author Michael Kenneth Smith. Michael is the author of The Postman, Scarred, Home Again and his recent novel, The Thin Gray Line

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Norm: Good day Michael and thanks for participating in our interview.

Please tell our readers a little bit about your personal and professional background.

Michael: Thank you for the opportunity. In college, I studied engineering and elective courses were not required. However, in my junior year I signed up for a creative writing course (mainly because the girl I was dating also was taking the class).

The professor’s first assignment was a short story and the week after we handed them in, he read mine to the class (I got an A in the course which was probably the only A I received).

Through the years that short story always stuck in my mind and almost 50 years later when I decided to try to write a novel, that short story became the last chapter of my first book (Home Again). Between college and the writing of my first book I started an automotive parts business which I sold in 2000.

Norm: Why do you write? Do you have a theme, message, or goal for your books?

Michael: I write because I love to. During the years of running a business I suffered from depression and took a lot of medications. When I started to write novels, I found I didn’t need them anymore and have never been happier. I like to write historical fiction and through the years I have become very familiar with the Civil War and WWII.

I like to weave fictional stories into these historical times to give my readers a sense of what it was like. They say that historical non-fiction will tell you what happened, however, historical fiction will tell you how it felt. Also, when a reader reads one of my books, not only will he/she be entertained, but that same reader will have learned something he/she heretofore might not have known (I hope).

Norm: How long have you been writing? What helps you focus when you write? 

Michael: My first book, HOME AGAIN, was published in 2013. Then the second, SCARRED, came out in 2015, then THE POSTWOMAN in 2017 and now THE THIN GRAY LINE in 2019. I maintain focus when writing because I am always surprised by what I write. That may seem strange but after a couple hours of writing, I will print out the pages and then wonder where it all came from. It’s like being in a zone. 

Norm: Do you write more by logic or intuition, or some combination of the two? Please summarize your writing process. 

Michael: Really good question. My novels are a series of scenes each one of which advances the storyline. When a scene is established with location and characters defined, I let the characters do their thing. I write what they see, how they feel and how they might interface with others. It just flows to the conclusion previously set. My writing is usually third person limited, so I can describe my protagonist’s emotions as the scenes progress.

Norm: How did you become involved with the subject or theme of The Thin Gray Line?

Michael: As previously mentioned, I like to write about the Civil War. In the first book, HOME AGAIN, two young boys from Tennessee sign up to go to war, one for the North and the other, for the South. Both of these characters are wounded by the war, one emotionally suffering from PTSD and the other losing his leg. The second book, SCARRED, follows the character with PTSD and tells the story of how he coped. My fourth book, THE THIN GRAY LINE, tells the story of the boy who lost his leg and how he copes. This latest book completes the trilogy, however, each book stands on its own and does not require having read the previous.

Norm: What were your goals and intentions in this book, and how well do you feel you achieved them?

Michael: Of course I try to improve with each book and, as a matter of fact, with each time I write. When I started to write THE THIN GRAY LINE, I wanted to  develop more interesting characters and relationships. I also wanted to get into the protagonist’s head more than before and explain his complex emotions. Another goal was to air out racial prejudices and how they existed at that time (1860’s).

Few other Civil War novels really address this issue and I wanted to really get into it. The main character, Luke Pettigrew, had no slaves and previous to the war had never interfaced with black people. As he becomes exposed to them, he sees the gross injustice of slavery and tries to help whatever way he can. He realizes he’s is fighting for the wrong cause and ultimately near the end must make a huge choice in his life: to listen to his heart or to listen to his conscience.

Norm: How did you go about creating the character of Luke Pettigrew? Is he based on any true historical character?

Michael: Never been asked this question before. Of course Luke is fictional but as he progresses through the book, he interfaces with true events. He is there when Jeff Davis flees Richmond in 1865. He is in Richmond when Abe Lincoln visits two days later and is mobbed by slaves he freed. Luke was a young boy thrown out of his home by his father and desperately wants to prove his father made a mistake.

He made a commitment to a young lady to return to her after the war ended and he tries to be faithful to her. In dealing with the pain of his amputated leg, he becomes addicted to opioids and has to deal with that. He faces the loss of a young woman he was attracted to. The story is about how he grows while facing these challenges.

Norm: What are some of the references that you used while researching this book?

Michael: Probably too many to mention. As the Civil War wound down, the historical record is very clear and is accessible through many different volumes. One thing about historical accuracy is that when the manuscript was completed, I sent it to two PHD’s in history and asked each of them to review and verify the historical references and timelines in the story. As an author I always pride myself in exactitude. If I deviate from the historical record, I so note it at the end.

Norm: What was the most difficult part of writing this book?

Michael: As mentioned, the main protagonist becomes addicted to an opioid (laudanum). Describing his addiction from his point of view was daunting as I had no experience, but I did discuss the issue with a psychologist and received some valuable insights.

Norm: What is the most important thing that people don't know about the theme of your book, that they need to know?

Michael: The main protagonist learns a lot as the story follows him to the end of the war. Maybe the book’s most revealing aspect is how the protagonist deals with race bias and how it ultimately changes his life.

Norm: What has your other work taught you that you have been able to apply to The Thin Gray Line?

Michael: As mentioned, I feel each book is better than the previous. While writing this new book I learned that creating organic characters and relationships not only gives depth to the story but also creates much more intense interest. Luke’s relationship with Cuff is organic and grew naturally. Previous works lacked this nuance. Plus I eschew predictability and always try to surprise the reader.

Norm: What do you believe makes a good historical fiction novel?

Michael: It’s all about story. COLD MOUNTAIN comes to mind. Also set in the Civil War era, the compelling story of love and hardship is everything.

Norm: Where can our readers find out more about you and The Thin Gray Line?

Michael: My WEBSITE   Check it out. There you can read some short stories, learn about previous awards and obtain some personal information.

Norm: What is next for Michael Kenneth Smith?

Michael: My favorite question. Another Civil War novel is coming along. The historical portion is when Jeff Davis leaves Richmond in April of 1865, he takes the whole Confederate treasury with him, two train carloads: gold bullion, gold coins, silver and notes. He keeps it with him over the next few weeks disbursing small amounts out here and there. When he is finally captured near Irwinville by federal troops, the treasure is gone.

Nobody knows for sure what happened to it. Davis has assigned young cadets from the Confederate Naval Academy to guard the treasure. One of these cadets is a young immature rebel who resents Davis actions and figures out a way to systematically seal the treasure one or two bags of loot at a time. The story is how he does it and then what he does with it and how it changes him and his progeny.

Norm: As this interview comes to an end, what question do you wish that someone would ask about your novels, but nobody has? 

Michael: The question nobody asks is what I would like to see happen to the stories I write. I did not think of this after the first novel, HOME AGAIN, but when I wrote SCARRED, a friend said it would make a great movie. I talked to some friends and discovered Tom Musca, an Oscar nominated screenwriter and producer liked the book and he wanted to write a movie script for it. And he did. It’s marvelous, especially to see how such a talented writer makes it into a screenplay. Several producers are now interested. The beat goes on. Now, my third novel, THE POSTWOMAN, is being converted into a screenplay and there is even more interest because of the main protagonist being a young woman which I’m told is in high demand.

Norm: Thanks once again and good luck with all of your future endeavors

FOLLOW HERE TO READ NORM'S REVIEW  OF THE THIN GRAY LINE