Michael has always been drawn to grim stories about the dark battles between good and evil. His favorite novels include The Lord of the Rings, by J.R.R. Tolkien, That Hideous Strength, by C.S. Lewis, and The Stand, by Stephen King. He is also drawn to authors Tami Hoag, James Rollins, Davis Bunn, Alex Kava, Tom Clancy, Michael Crichton, Raymond Feist, John Grisham and  movies by M. Night Shyamalan. A pastor for over twenty years, Michael weaves faith elements into his stories in a way that provokes thought and discussion. He is not a fan of thoughtless faith or dogma, but prefers dialogue with those of different beliefs and/or faith traditions. He enjoys discussing philosophy, especially as it works itself out in the practical sphere, and is drawn to the works of Nietzsche, especially Thus Spake Zarathustra, Twilight of the Idols, and The Anti-Christ (he believes Nietzsche is illustrative of what happens when men reject God), as well as Francis Schaeffer and Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn. Michael is the author of seven novels, including Jefferson's Road: The Spirit of Resistance, Jefferson's Road: Patriots and Tyrants, The Coppersmith, Spilled Milk, Eye of Darkness, and The Lost Scrolls. His sequel to The Lost Scrolls, entitled The Elixir of Life, is currently under consideration by his publisher. Michael is currently working on a teen dystopic called In The Widening Gyre. He has plans to complete sequels to The Coppersmith and Spilled Milk this year, as well as the next installment of Jefferson's Road: The Tree of Liberty.