Jukebox Mind got a chance to interview Mitchell Megaley regarding his book Love in Hopeless Places. We got insights into his book, his daily writing mantra, and much more!
Q. Please tell us about your fantastic new book, Love in Hopeless Places, now available on Amazon.
Mitchell Megaley: The book is a love story between Alexa, a skilled athlete and programmer, and Jude, a scientist.
The story begins with a bit of background introduction of the protagonists: their lives, the challenges they were facing, what they wanted from life, and what life was looking like for them. It’s a story of love, betrayal, family, and everything.
Q. The title of your book is intriguing! Kindly share some insights on your book’s lead characters, Alexa Williams and Jude.
Mitchell Megaley: Love in Hopeless Places is a thrilling romance story with a lot of tension. Foremost, it is the story of Alexa and Jude, who meet through an unexpected and dangerous situation. The two must face more than their profound desires as they face difficult circumstances. Alexa tends to set an intrigue through her dialogue and story and through her powerful personality, which does not want to settle. I wanted Alexa to be a very realistic, relatable, and believable character.
Q. What motivated you and inspired you to write this book?
Mitchell Megaley: More and more, I guess it resembles the evolution of our modern society, where people want to have new experiences, and they are not happy with only having a simple life. However, they still need an anchor in life to find their partner for life. Having moved to Australia, I have gotten used to moving on to uncharted horizons. It gave me this idea of two people being caught in an experience, just by surprise, and yet being still in the right conditions to find love.
Q. Please tell us who are your favorite authors and why?
Mitchell Megaley: The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks is based on a truly romantic story and adapted into a movie
The Time Traveler’s Wife, by Audrey Niffenegger. I like the science fiction bit of this story (time travel).
Q. Is there any daily writing mantra that you follow to stay creative?
Mitchell Megaley: Yes, I have a few tips to help anyone willing to stay creative. Above all, the most important to stay creative is not to stop writing, whatever you are doing. This might sound awkward, but it is the truth. Do not stop writing in any circumstances; if you are doing other activities, write in your head by plotting the scenes you want to put on paper later. This can become a full-blown chapter later when you have time to write with your pen.
Q. What are your thoughts on Writer’s Block? Any advice on how to navigate that?
Mitchell Megaley: I would not say that it is an easy question. But blocks can be encountered in many respects, not only in writing. My advice would be to change your environment and do something to get your blood flowing to allow proper circulation of thought. Go for a walk or exercise. But this might sound too simple. Anyways it works for me.
Q. What will be your advice for aspiring writers?
Mitchell Megaley: I have always loved writing since I was little. I used to read many books in all genres (especially romance). If I were to offer guidance to someone trying to enhance their writing, I’d tell the person two things.
a. Explore. Don’t be afraid to explore all genres. This advice helped me immensely because it broadened my imagination and fueled my passion for writing.
b. Keep writing. This is the best piece of advice I was given when I began my journey as a writer. Don’t wait till you’re ready because you probably never will. Write every day, even when you have no idea what to write.
Q. What’s next? Which book are you working on now?
Mitchell Megaley: I am finished writing a second book, published soon. It will be more of a thriller with a pleasant blend of action, romance, and drama that pays homage to the camp and silliness of the spy genre while also incorporating the tense, dramatic moments that the genre is famous for. Before moving to Australia, I had written quite a few books or stories, which never got published, and now I am revisiting them and aim to post them in the next few months and years.
Q. Finally, as we ask all our guests on Jukebox Mind, do you have any closing thoughts that you would like to share with the world and our readers?
Mitchell Megaley: Thank you for inviting me to share these thoughts with you all, and I look forward to answering any questions that my readership would have. I invite them to visit my website, set up shortly to post messages, and ask me their questions.
Link: Interview with Mitchell Megaley, Author of “Love in Hopeless Places” – Jukebox Mind posted by Jukebox Mind on February 19, 2022
