Meet Michael J. Scharen, author of “Saya de Mahla”
Tell us what your book, “Saya de Mahla,” is about!
Sure! Here’s the summary:
Ariel Malka was a successful entrepreneur, but always impatient with those who impeded real progress. Saya de Mahla is a present-day reef a few meters below the surface of the Indian Ocean. In the future, it is a thriving settlement meters above. After the tragic deaths of friends in the Mars UN colony, Ariel decides to join his fellow anarchists to counter those who lie, steal, and obfuscate. Join Ariel and his team of doers as they defend their rights from Saya de Mahla, to the Moon, and on to Mars!
What did you love most about writing this book?
I enjoyed the idea of a separate community created from beneath the waves with a unique way of governing themselves.
How did you start writing?
I sat with an elderly friend for years, watching a movie each evening to keep him company. We saw many films in that time. Not all were worth watching, and some we couldn't finish. I felt I could write stories that were as good or better than those that were well-funded.
Tell us a little bit about your self-publishing experience.
There are many free tools I've found to prepare my works, which range from Linux software to Open Office, Sigil, Calibre, Audacity, etc. I've learned to use these applications. I've also prepared and published my own website from scratch, not using canned software but working with Grok to create something both original and utilitarian.
What was your biggest challenge in bringing the book to market, and how did you solve it?
The biggest challenge thus far is learning and navigating all of the various social media platforms and their less obvious features. There is difficulty in the number of 'experts' coming out of the woodwork, harassing one for business. I've learned to navigate these obstacles to increase my knowledge of my works.
What's one piece of advice you have for other writers?
Stick with it. If one book does not pan out, write another, then another. Your books will get better. Don't worry about word count, but concentrate on the story. If it is a good story, there will be as many words as you need.
Anything else you want folks to know?
With a B.S./M.A. in Physics, I write hard science fiction. This means I take as much as possible from current technology and project it into the future. My works have plenty of action and adventure with the addition of dry humor. An underlying theme of my books is one of freedom from arbitrary violent hierarchies. Contrast and conflict are there in the battle between liberty and those who wish to control everything in society. My heroes are agorists and anarchists.
Where can people find your book?
https://michaelsbookcorner.com/?page=saya
