I'm so pleased to welcome Michael Lopez. He is the wonderful author of Zoey Le Mar and the Veil of Fear. Tune in and enjoy as we meet the "fun" side of Michael!
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About the Author
Michael Lopez was born in Hawaii. He grew up an Air Force brat and traveled half the globe. Michael interacted with different people and cultures for the first twelve years of his life. He found this awe-inspiring and fascinating. It was from these experiences that his love of learning and for exploration grew. Michael has earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology, a teaching credential, and a master’s degree in education. Currently, Michael lives in Northern California.
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Hello Michael. Welcome to the Purple Brick Road. It's a pleasure to have you today. Please tell me about your book.
Zoey Le Mar has, what she thinks, is a typical preteen life in the suburbs: soccer, a strict yet loving father and mother, a pesky little brother, Owen, and two best friends, Danielle Hernandez and Lucy Le Mar. Without warning, during the preparations for Owen’s birthday party, Zoey receives her first premonition, based on a secret truth. It starts to undermine her once peaceful, eleven-year-old existence. The forewarning matches a recurring dream that has plagued Zoey since Owen’s current age. The premonition and dream involve mystery, monsters, and magic. At first, Zoey ignores off the forewarning, not really realizing what’s going on or the importance of it. The premonition involves a family secret, a forgotten responsibility, many generations removed.
As Owen’s birthday party begins, more premonitions intrude and stagger Zoey. Even her cousin Lucy gets pulled into one somehow. Then a strange present, another two-feet-tall gargoyle statue, adds to the continuing mystery of her family and this evolving day. Still wary, Zoey dismisses the warnings and all the coincidences guiding her. Humor becomes her favorite avenue to deflect the strangeness. Though ignored, the premonitions expand and continue to haunt Zoey.
The party ends and Lucy goes home. With that avenue of communication closed, Zoey finds solace by going to Danielle’s house. On her way there, Tricky O’Leary, a fellow classmate and local bad boy, stops her. He discovers something’s wrong and tries to help. Zoey brushes off his offer and ditches him. Once the coast is clear, she continues onto Danielle’s house and gets chased by what she thinks are monsters. But she’s not sure. She makes it to Danielle’s house and ducks inside. However, a classmate and fellow teammate, Rhea Khan, taking out the trash, sees what chases Zoey, and it becomes her problem. In the meanwhile, Danielle helps Zoey investigate the strange happenings of the day, the gargoyle present, and her family story. But an odd accident occurs when Zoey and Danielle get too close to the bizarre truth.
Now, inadvertently, all four girls, Zoey, Lucy, Rhea, and Danielle, are involved with the Le Mar family secret, possessing pieces of the puzzle. As night falls, the ignored premonitions start to come true. From a pocket dimension, the high priest of the monsters, the golems, orders some of his clan to cross over and hunt for the disturbers of the truth. Zoey’s ripple effect has many results: an accidental kidnapping of Rhea then Lucy, Owen getting taken, Zoey crossing over with an animated gargoyle protector, Danielle being dragged into this mess, and Tricky finding a way there too.
Can Zoey find a way to believe in herself and take control of this situation? Can Zoey find a way to fulfill her destiny and end this forgotten responsibility? Can Zoey find a way to do what’s right and save herself, her friends, and her brother?
As Owen’s birthday party begins, more premonitions intrude and stagger Zoey. Even her cousin Lucy gets pulled into one somehow. Then a strange present, another two-feet-tall gargoyle statue, adds to the continuing mystery of her family and this evolving day. Still wary, Zoey dismisses the warnings and all the coincidences guiding her. Humor becomes her favorite avenue to deflect the strangeness. Though ignored, the premonitions expand and continue to haunt Zoey.
The party ends and Lucy goes home. With that avenue of communication closed, Zoey finds solace by going to Danielle’s house. On her way there, Tricky O’Leary, a fellow classmate and local bad boy, stops her. He discovers something’s wrong and tries to help. Zoey brushes off his offer and ditches him. Once the coast is clear, she continues onto Danielle’s house and gets chased by what she thinks are monsters. But she’s not sure. She makes it to Danielle’s house and ducks inside. However, a classmate and fellow teammate, Rhea Khan, taking out the trash, sees what chases Zoey, and it becomes her problem. In the meanwhile, Danielle helps Zoey investigate the strange happenings of the day, the gargoyle present, and her family story. But an odd accident occurs when Zoey and Danielle get too close to the bizarre truth.
Now, inadvertently, all four girls, Zoey, Lucy, Rhea, and Danielle, are involved with the Le Mar family secret, possessing pieces of the puzzle. As night falls, the ignored premonitions start to come true. From a pocket dimension, the high priest of the monsters, the golems, orders some of his clan to cross over and hunt for the disturbers of the truth. Zoey’s ripple effect has many results: an accidental kidnapping of Rhea then Lucy, Owen getting taken, Zoey crossing over with an animated gargoyle protector, Danielle being dragged into this mess, and Tricky finding a way there too.
Can Zoey find a way to believe in herself and take control of this situation? Can Zoey find a way to fulfill her destiny and end this forgotten responsibility? Can Zoey find a way to do what’s right and save herself, her friends, and her brother?
That sounds like a fantastic read. What's your next project?
I’m working on the second book in the series, Zoey Le Mar and the Wrath of the Anasazi.
If you were attending a Halloween party, what would your costume be and why?
Fred Flintstone. He’s a big loveable lug. He tries hard, and his heart is in the right place.
I agree! He's a big sweetheart. What’s your favorite line from any movie?
Galadriel (from Lord of the Rings): Even the smallest person can change the course of the future.
List five adjectives to describe yourself.
Tenacious, loyal, curious, giving, and witty
Awesome qualities! If you were to create a slogan for your life, what would it be?
You are the answer. All you have to do is believe.
Nice slogan! Does Prince Charming exist?
No, but Prince Close Enough does. LOL!
Ha ha! You're so funny, Michael! If you were the Miss World, what would your message for aspiring models be?
Why, to wish for world peace, of course. J
Love it! What are your favorite foods?
Pizza, lasagna, and enchilada.
Those are some of my favorite foods too! Yum! What's your favorite drink?
Mountain Dew.
Do you have any pets?
Two dogs, Eva (min pin, 17 y.o.) and Gracie (border collie, 5 y.o.), and one cat, Beebop (1 y.o.)
Sitting alone in a big field, looking at stars, what do you think/feel?
1) I want to be onboard the USS Enterprise exploring space. 2) I feel small in the grand scheme of things. 3) Other life has to be out there.
Love those statements! Pen or pencil?
Pencil. You can have a do-over and erase the mistakes.
What is your favorite commercial?
An E-trade one, the baby girlfriend. (And the milk-aholic Lindsay wasn’t over. Lindsay? Milk-a-what?) And the Betty White Snickers commercial. So funny.
Those are hiliarious! If you could meet anyone from history, who would you meet and why?
Benjamin Franklin, because he lived his life as an author, printer, political theorist, politician, postmaster, scientist, musician, inventor, satirist, civic activist, statesman, and diplomat.
Have you ever had the feeling you were being watched?
Who said that? Where are you? Mom said I’m not allowed to talk to strangers. LOL!
LOL. What cartoon character best represents your personal philosophy?
Bugs Bunny, because, according to Elmer, he’s that rascally rabbit, and I’m very rascally.
If you had the opportunity to live one year of your life over again, which year would you choose?
My 18th year. I would break away from my family and comfort zone and go away to college this time.
If you could be a character in any novel you've ever read, who would you be and why?
Peter Pan, because, I could fly, be young forever, and have a friend who can do magic.
I'd love to fly and be young forever. What's your favorite bumper sticker?
Frodo failed. Bush has the ring.
What is the wallpaper on your computer?
Pictures of my friends and me.
What a "FUN" interview! Thanks, Michael, for visiting "FUN" Interviews on The Purple Brick Road. It was a pleasure to have you. And a big thank you to everyone who tuned in.
Connect with Michael online!
