Author Spotlight

Hi Everyone,

Today, I am thrilled to introduce you to Michael Evans. He is the author of the Control Freakz series. I first met him at a book signing at My Sister’s Books, a couple of years ago. He is an incredibly gifted young author. Today, he is giving away one free paperback copy of Control Freakz. See details below to enter. Good luck to all.

Enjoy!

~Ariesgrl

Hi Michael! Thanks for joining us today. Can you tell the followers a little bit about yourself?

Thank you for having me, and of course. Hmm where to begin… well, I’ll start off by
saying that I’m the author of the YA Post-Apocalyptic Thriller Control Freakz Series that
consists currently of three books and four novellas and author of the forthcoming
Conspiracy Chronicles releasing in the fall of 2019. I am currently in high school and am
graduating a year early to take a gap year and pursue my dream of being a full-time
author. However, besides writing I love peanut butter and fluff, walks on the beach
(especially with the stars at night!), and playing fetch with my crazy golden doodle Skye.

What inspired you to become an author?

I would say that more so than an author, at my heart I am a storyteller. And in all
honesty, nothing inspired me to become a storyteller. Recounting my experiences and
conjuring up ideas and dreams and weaving them into stories is just something that has
always come naturally to me, it is how I deal with everything in life and help others deal
with both the good and bad in their lives too. The specific stories I tell do have many
inspirations and most come from the future, or my desire, wish and hope that the
power of story can impact the world to be headed into an amazing future. With my
novels I try to paint a picture of darker futures in hopes that it compels society to
prevent that future from taking place, but principally I hope readers of my stories can
find things about the characters in the book that allow them to love themselves more
and live happier lives.

Which authors do you love to read in your spare time?

I love Stephen King, and one day would love to read each one of his books. In my eyes,
he is the greatest storyteller of the generation and his characters are always so
fascinating and feel so real. However, I really enjoy reading Veronica Roth, Alexandra
Bracken, Eyre Price, Cesar Torres, Mark Dawson, and countless more authors that I can
go on listing for a loooong time here.

Do you have any other books in the works?

Yes, I do! I’m currently working on the Conspiracy Chronicles, a new Technothriller
Dystopian mash-up series that explores the future impact of climate change on
resources in the world, and with heightened global tensions surrounding access to food
and water one company claims to have a solution that would eliminate material wealth
entirely. However, this radical solution involves the migration of hundreds of millions to
virtual worlds, and with Sam, a virtual reality gamer superstar of the game Deadwave,
being tasked to lead this cause, a wild journey ensues with Sam having to deal with a
forbidden love, his desire to win the Deadwave world championships, death threats
from competitors, and ultimately the impossibly high expectations of the only man he
loves in the world- his father. The first three books in the Conspiracy Chronicle series are
slated to be released in the fall of 2019, and the fourth book in the Control Freakz Series
will hopefully be coming out in the spring of 2020.

Is there a character in your books that shares some of your attributes?

For sure, I think every story that an author tells is in a way a reflection of them. For me,
Natalie shares my same fears about the future, and desire to get her past back, while
Hunter has more of the even temperament that I do. Ethan has the often methodical
mind that I do, however, the depression and anxiety Natalie deals with are less my
personal struggles and more those of teenagers as a collective. However, many of
Natalie’s thoughts, feelings/opinions on life are in fact my own and the struggles of her
loving herself and learning to love life are struggles I along with almost everyone have
experienced too.

How do you name your characters?

It varies. For main characters I will sometimes pick a name with a symbol, but more
times than not I will name characters with names that seem to have a good flow and
work well with my idea of who the character is. All my characters are like real people to
me, and as a result, when naming them I let their name come to me in an effortless
fashion so that my conversations with them in my head are more natural and feel real.

Where can readers find out more information about your books? (Social media, physical stores,
etc.)

Well, readers in Pawleys Island can always by signed copies of my books at My Sister’s
Books :). However, for anyone who likes to read ebooks online my books can be found
on Amazon in Kindle Unlimited HERE and my website, where readers get all the novellas
in the Memories From The Darkness Collection if they sign up for my newsletter is HERE.
On social media, I can be found at @mevansinked on Instagram and Twitter.

My reviews:

Control Freakz

(Book #1)

Natalie is all-alone in her family, as her desire to find out the truth about her father’s disappearance. She never really fits in anywhere, but somehow makes friends with Hunter. As the government begins tracking his every move, and families are being taken away, Natalie, Hunter, and their friend Ethan, must band together. As they go on the run, will they find their families or will they finally learn the real reason President Ash is intent on destroying their lives?

Michael Evans demonstrates incredible talent in his debut novel, Control Freakz. Blending the classic style of 1984 and mixing it with the modern adventures of The Hunger Games series, this post-apocalyptic novel will take readers on a journey to save the world from a paralyzing government. Teenagers and adult sci-fi readers will want to take note of Michael Evans, as they will anxiously await the sequel to this story.

Delusional

(Book 2)

Natalie is alive, but her memory has been erased. When she is rescued, she is expected to save humanity. However, as she continues along the quest, she starts to question the honesty of those around her. Will she continue the mission, or will her desire to remember her past prevent her from stopping President Ash?

With this sequel, the author dives deeper into human emotion. Natalie is dealing with the trauma of what she has been through, while struggling to remember her past. The fast-paced events will keep readers on their toes. Though it is not necessary to read the first novel, it will help give insight to the events that led up to this story. Readers will want to make sure they have book three handy, in order to find out the character’s fate.

Triggered

President Ash is releasing a program that will result in the destruction of mankind. It is up to Natalie, Hunter, and her Mom to do whatever it takes to save America. Is the risk of taking one life worth it, if it means saving many more?

The author demonstrates the negative impacts in a society ruled by a selfish leader. Readers will feel Natalie’s depression, as she internally debates decisions that have led to these events. Fans of dystopian novels will definitely be keeping their eyes open for what Michael Evans writes next.

Giveaway Time:

To enter for a chance to win a paperback copy of Control Freakz, leave a comment below. What is your favorite Young Adult book? Mine is still The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton. Contest is open through Feb. 14th, at 6pm. Winner will selected using random.org and will be announced on Feb. 15th. Good luck