Interesting storylines that make me wonder what happens when they will collide.
Fantasy Man by Jean-Michel Desire is a Fantasy that released exactly one year ago.
The world nations are suddenly faced with terrorism in an unprecedented simultaneous attack worldwide. An urgent secret meeting is held with religious and political authorities of all nations to discuss the ensuing message from a ghostly character by the name of Fantasy Man, who not only claims full responsibility, but challenges all with a precise ultimatum. General Timothy Powell is assigned to the leadership of the taskforce with mission to find and stop Fantasy Man, but this assignment could not come at a worse time for the General who faces some very personal and delicate problems.
A British archeologist sets up an elaborate scheme to select a group of civilians to accompany him through a paranormal adventure never before attempted, an adventure that he has nicknamed ‘The war to end all wars’. Fascinated at the prospects of this paranormal adventure, the civilians will soon find themselves in a web of deceit while truly embarking in the unknown world of the supernatural. By the time the hidden agenda of the archeologist is understood, deepest and darkest secrets will have been revealed and only friendship and love will provide a slim chance for the civilians to come out alive. But who has deceived who?
A mastermind engineer disillusioned with the lethargy and inertia of the corporate world seizes an unexpected opportunity to start his own business, an entertainment outfit unlike any other. How could he possibly have known that he would become entangled with the taskforce against Fantasy Man?
Racing around the globe as well as around the clock to piece the challenging puzzle laid out by Fantasy Man will prove to be a quasi-impossible task for the authorities… until fate does what it does best, bringing together the most unlikely group of people to solve the riddle. But Fantasy Man had one last defiant act up his sleeve, another simultaneous worldwide show of force with a fatal outcome…
What would you do faced with the enormity of Fantasy Man’s challenge and a deadline to stop him?
If you were selected for the archeologist’s paranormal adventure, would you willingly take on the challenge of ‘war to end all wars’?
Would you give up your dream of a highly successful self-made career in the entertainment domain, to save the world, or simply to ease the burden of a troubled soul?
Fantasy Man will change your world forever, if you dare take his challenge…
About the Author
Jean-Michel Désiré was born on the magnificent tropical island of Mauritius, where he completed his primary and secondary studies in compulsory bilingual French and English languages. An acute love of reading combined with a great interest in art (drawing and painting) pushed Jean-Michel from a young age to want to write his own comic books, but a lack of opportunity blocked his efforts. It was this same lack of opportunity of the time that triggered a need to perform further studies. At age 22, Jean-Michel left Mauritius for North London, England, where he completed a bachelor of Engineering in Electronics followed by a Master of Philosophy in Microelectronics.
While concluding his Master’s degree, Jean-Michel met the lady who became his wife a year later, year during which they also moved to Montreal Canada where Jean-Michel had been offered an engineering position in the Aerospace industry. Life had its own agenda, and within the first eighteen months, their daughter was born in the middle of a snow storm in Montreal. Six years later, their son came into the world and the obvious demands of family life became the main priorities.
During the winter of 2008, Jean-Michel slipped on the ice during a storm and fractured his ankle in multiple locations. Recovering at home after surgery, Jean-Michel decided that the time had come to revive his passion for writing. Within two years, his first book ‘The Storyteller’s Nights’ was published. The positive feedback from readers fueled Jean-Michel to exploit his bilingualism and he translated the story into French, ‘Les Nuits du Conteur’ being published in 2015. He then felt the wind in his sails and published ‘Fantasy Man’ in 2017, and recently, ‘Revanche (Revenge)’ (the follow-up to ‘Les Nuits du Conteur’) in 2019. ‘Fantasy Man’ is presently nominated for an award, top ten finalist to be announced on 22 August 2019. He has just completed the first draft to his next English book, entitled ‘The Miracle Ladies’, which he plans to send to the publisher within the next few months, after the essential rounds of self-editing.
Engineer by day, writer by night, Jean-Michel plans to keep letting his imagination go wild while capturing it all on paper. Surrounded by a great family, he plans to write a whole lot more. When he is not writing, he spends quality time with his family and travels yearly back to Mauritius to visit his Mom and brothers.
Hi Jean-Michel, and thank you for being here with us today.
Do you prefer to write in silence or with noise? Why?
In my daily engineering job, I’ve had no choice but to develop an ability to write amidst noise, sometimes excessive noise of various people on the phone, other holding loud discussion in the next cubicle etcetera. One might argue that it’s Ok since it does not require the same concentration as writing a book, but technical writing can be just as, if not sometimes more demanding. Thus, for my books, I like the peace and quiet of the sanctuary I call home. Once we have done the house chores, had a good exchange about our daily lives, had a great supper, I find my backroad to be an awe-inspiring space in summer. Of course the Canadian autumns and winters force indoor activities, but the same approach applies in a quiet corner of the house. Calming music in the background is fine with me,
Do you write one book at a time or do you have several going at a time?
I write one book at a time, although I can be conflicted with ideas for other books that sometimes pop out of nowhere.
If you could have been the author of any book ever written, which book would you choose?
‘Angels and Demons’ and ‘The Einstein Enigma’.
Pen or type writer or computer?
Definitely computer.
Tell us about a favorite character from a book.
In all honesty, there are quite a few. At some other point in time, I’ll elaborate a more detailed answer but for now, I guess I’m just too caught up in finishing ‘The Miracle Ladies’ to think of a proper answer.
What made you want to become an author and do you feel it was the right decision?
The answer to this question is in my mind and experience not an easy one. I read a lot on various websites and social media about authors and aspiring authors. In almost every case, the author has something to say or something they truly want to share. I certainly felt the same way when the urge to write would surface. In the end, I realized that writing is the best approach because first and foremost, the author has to ensure that his own thoughts are clear enough in his head for him to express them on paper. Writing eliminates the potential for endless discussions and even if readers do not agree with what is on paper, it is up to them to decide what they do with the information provided. Personally, I make no claims whatsoever that what I write is law. I simply wish to share ideas and thoughts for hopefully a better world for our children and all our loved ones who will be left behind when we depart from this world.
A day in the life of the author?
Not much to say here other than a pretty simple and ordinary life. If I was pressured to say something, I would have to say that the only difference is to take the time to be grateful for all the good things in your life, and with regards to the less good thing, keep asking for courage to deal with them and deal with them. With regards to writing, consistency combined with determination will get you there, but it is up to each and every one of us to determine balance with respect to everything else in our lives.
Advice they would give new authors?
You might get lucky and get this break we are all looking for on your first novel. But in the meantime, it is worth remembering some golden rules: Hard work pays off and it is worth doing your homework properly before sending your manuscript to publishers; However tedious it may appear, edit your manuscript a minimum of three times before sending to the publisher. And most important of all, ask yourself the same question over and over again. Is writing something you really want to do, or is it something that is appealing on the spur of the moment? If your honest answer is that this is something that you wish to do, then, ensure the following three words are forever engraved in your mind, heart and soul: Never give up!
Describe your writing style.
From reading many books for various authors, I have adapted my style to ensure the reader has as much information as he needs from footnotes or references to have a good view of what is going on. I have unfortunately been frustrated at times from a few other authors who assume that the reader is completely fluent in jargon or acronyms or even locations and cultures.
What makes a good story?
A clear idea first, a clear and good message as the outcome, and plenty of mystery, challenge, action, puzzles and fun in between. In addition, lovable characters must be clearly lovable while despicable characters must be truly despicable. Of course, there have to be twists and turns so that the personalities are not revealed form the start.
What are you currently reading?
Having recently complete ‘Never grow up’, Jackie Chan’s autobiography, I am not reading anything at the moment as I am focusing on completing my first draft of ‘The Miracle Ladies’. I will likely tackle one of Deepak Chopra’s books after that.
What is your writing process? For instance do you do an outline first? Do you do the chapters first? What are common traps for aspiring writers?
I try to write half a page as an outline but find that it does not work very well for me. I would have to write at least two pages to have a meaningful outline. As a result, once I have the main idea for the storyline, I start with the first two chapters and pretty much follow the flow of inspiration from there. Aspiring writers need to ensure self-discipline if they wish to progress and succeed. But because we are all different in character, endurance and life experiences, it is important for aspiring writers to first evaluate and establish their own weaknesses and determine how they will tackle these weaknesses. In my personal view, this is one good way to put as many aces up your sleeve as you can.
What is your writing Kryptonite?
Time is my number one Kryptonite. Others are my own interest in reading, documentaries and movies, which push me to self-impose a strict calendar for myself.
Do you try more to be original or to deliver to readers what they want?
I definitely try to be more original.
If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would it be?
Do your homework and do not be impatient. There is a natural order to writing and you need to listen to the voice from the silence within.
What’s the most difficult thing about writing characters from the opposite sex?
This is a great question. It is the hardest thing about writing, i.e. to understand enough of the opposite sex to remain credible in one’s writing. Again, I consider myself blessed and lucky to have my wife as first critic. Other readers are also of the opposite sex and they always provide great feedback that helps me in the next venture.
How long on average does it take you to write a book?
‘The Storyteller’s Nights’ took two years.
‘Fantasy Man’ took nine months.
‘Revanche’ took seven months.
‘The Miracle Ladies’ (90% completed) has so far taken seven months.
Do you believe in writer’s block?
I have experienced it with ‘The Storyteller’s Nights’. Since, I have not and I believe it is because I have learnt to listen and read the signs. As I mentioned answering a previous question, As soon as the writing is not flowing, I step away and do something else. Inspiration comes back quickly enough. So, to give a clear answer, yes I believe in writer’s block, but I also believe that it’s a matter of how an author manages his approach.
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