His stories have been featured in "Forgotten Ones", our Patreon account, and now his story "The Lady in the Woods" will be featured in "It Calls From The Forest: Volume 1"
Born in the usual way, author Michael D. Nadeau found fantasy at the age of eight with Dungeons & Dragons. He loved being different people as well as casting magic. By High school he discovered his love for reading thanks to a teacher. She fed his thirst for books by bringing her own books from home and lending them to him, even buying one towards the end of her class. He has now read hundreds of fantasy books, living in each of their worlds along with the characters. After awhile he started created his own worlds for his games with friends. Cities, gods, ancient and terrible beings and histories...then he would burn them all down.
He is the author of the Lythinall series: The Darkness Returns book 1, The Darkness Within book 2 (June 2020), The Darkness Falls (coming soon), and Tales from Lythinall — an anthology (coming soon). He also has several stories in Kyanite Press’s Journal of speculative fiction and Eerie River Publishing anthologies, as well as writing for Gestalt Media’s monthly contest regularly.
Have you always written, or was there a catalyst that prompted you to begin this journey?
I’ve been writing stories and short histories for fantasy games since I was about twelve. The transition from that to full novels came about when I was telling someone I work with to do something with their life that they enjoy. “Take the two things you like and see if that’s something you can do.” I said. For reference they enjoyed working in their woodshop and loved helping people sell things they didn’t want. I told them to make crafty stuff and sell them. Then they looked at me and said, why aren’t you doing that? I loved fantasy and I loved to read, so I tried writing.
What is your favourite genre to read?
I love epic fantasy — or high fantasy. The struggles against powerful enemies alongside elves and dragons is just something that resonates within me. Lord of the Rings, Elric of Melnibone, and the Dragonlance saga, are just some examples of these. My favorites, however, are the ongoing stories from Ed Greenwood about the mage of Shadowdale, Elminster Aumar.
Do you remember the first piece of writing shared publicly? What were people’s reactions, but more importantly how did you react getting it out there?
My first public writing was my first self published book. I wrote the Darkness Returns originally to be self published, followed by book 2. When I hit that button to make it go live it was a thrill and I remember the first couple of friend to read it...they loved it! A couple actually told me that they could hear my voice while reading it, so that made me feel really good.
My first piece of published work not done by myself was for Kyanite Press’s Winter Digest. The call was for fairy tales and I redid the Tortoise and the hare, set in my world with a dark twist. The first person to review it said things that almost made me cry with joy...It felt like I had really done it in that moment.
What is your workspace like? What kind of atmosphere do you need to write?
HA! Workspace...It’s not that cool. I write at my desk, in the living room of my tiny apartment. I don’t just mean small, really tiny. I can stand in my living room with a seven foot pole and poke it into every room. My poor wife has to sit there watching TV listening to me clickity clackity away almost nonstop. Likewise, I hear more shows that I would never watch as I write away at all these stories!
Did you have an imaginary friend when you were little?
Not in the traditional sense, yet I was an only child so I talked to myself quite a bit. In fact my parents used to own a restaurant and I would play out back when I was little. Customers would always compliment them on their well behaved children...my mother would always say we have only one. This disturbed some of them because I would use different voices for my action figures —they are NOT dolls—
Without giving too much away, tell us about your story featured in “It Calls From the Forest” and what inspired you to write it?
The Lady in the Woods is about the consequences of ignoring warnings and making promises that you should never have made. Some days you should just stay home.
Join us on Patreon and get additional questions with Michael, read monthly short stories, get free eBooks and so much more. Patron Exclusive Content
Social Media Links
My Amazon author page : https://www.amazon.com/Michael-D. Nadeau/e/B07L3ZJXCL/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0
My website: https://karsisthebard.wordpress.com/
My Twitter: https://twitter.com/Salen_Valari
My Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/LythinallSeries/
My Books
The Darkness Returns book 1 can be found here:
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