Michael Bowe's Blog
October 12, 2022
My new novel, The Enduring Echo of Words Unsaid
At the start of summer, I was notified that my new novel, The Enduring Echo of Words Unsaid, was a Finalist (100 books) for The Page Turner Award in London, England. In late August, it made it to the Long List (48 books) of books under consideration. Today, I got notified that it is on the Shortlist (13 books) of books vying for the prestigious award. The award winner will be announced at the end of October.
The novel will be published on January 31, 2023.
The Enduring Echo of Words Unsaid
The novel will be published on January 31, 2023.
The Enduring Echo of Words Unsaid
August 14, 2020
The Weight of a Moment is Honored Again!
Hello,
This afternoon, I was notified that The Weight of a Moment has won the category of Literary Fiction at the American Fiction Awards. Though honored by several literary organizations previously, this is its highest honor yet. My thanks to all who have read and supported the novel. Michael Bowe
The Weight of a Moment...
On list of “10 Best Indie Books of 2019” at Shelf Unbound Magazine. Also, Finalist for Best Novel at the Next Generation Book Awards (often referred to as the “Sundance of Books” in the media).
"Emotionally rich, psychologically exciting, and inspiring" - Readers' Favorite
"Profound...replete with startling twists and turns" - Seattle Book Review
“One of the most compelling and thought-provoking pieces of literature I’ve read in quite some time.” - Blogger, booksinmylibraryblog.wordpress.com
And, Goodreads reviewers praised it also, calling it “profound,” “beautifully written,” "relevant," "powerful," and “one of the best books I’ve read this year.”
Critically acclaimed, this second novel from the author of Skyscraper of a Man is a brilliant sophomore effort.
This afternoon, I was notified that The Weight of a Moment has won the category of Literary Fiction at the American Fiction Awards. Though honored by several literary organizations previously, this is its highest honor yet. My thanks to all who have read and supported the novel. Michael Bowe
The Weight of a Moment...
On list of “10 Best Indie Books of 2019” at Shelf Unbound Magazine. Also, Finalist for Best Novel at the Next Generation Book Awards (often referred to as the “Sundance of Books” in the media).
"Emotionally rich, psychologically exciting, and inspiring" - Readers' Favorite
"Profound...replete with startling twists and turns" - Seattle Book Review
“One of the most compelling and thought-provoking pieces of literature I’ve read in quite some time.” - Blogger, booksinmylibraryblog.wordpress.com
And, Goodreads reviewers praised it also, calling it “profound,” “beautifully written,” "relevant," "powerful," and “one of the best books I’ve read this year.”
Critically acclaimed, this second novel from the author of Skyscraper of a Man is a brilliant sophomore effort.
May 16, 2020
Finalist for Next Generation Best Indie Novel Award
Yesterday, I was notified that The Weight of a Moment has been selected as a finalist for the Next Generation Best Novel Award for 2020. Needless to say, I'm thrilled! The book has been very well-received by the Goodreads community and has received several similar honors from other national book awards. To commemorate this honor, I am placing the novel on sale on Amazon for $7.95 in paperback and Kindle for a limited time only. I hope you'll pick up a copy, or give one as a gift to a friend. Thanks for your support, Michael Bowe
December 30, 2019
The Weight of a Moment - Author Q&A #1
Hello,
In the last two weeks, I have received some great questions about my book from readers. In my next two blogs, I want to share them with you...
Chris' Question
Since I finished The Weight of a Moment, I have thought about it a lot, probably more than any book I’ve read. While the two protagonists, Tom and Nick, carry the story, I found myself thinking about Alex. He is a minor character but Tom and Nick both have deep conversations with him. Is there more to Alex than I realize?
My Answer
Great question, Chris. And yes, I viewed Alex as a minor but very important character. And yes again, his conversations with Tom and Nick are significant.
Alex is a typical kid who has no idea what he wants to do with his life. He is at a critical juncture in life and, like most recent high school grads, doesn’t even know it. Nick has a first conversation with him and tells him, “You don’t need to know what you want to do in life, only that you want to do something.” Then later, Tom tells him about his day at the Chesapeake Bay and the man with the Labrador retriever. It is a powerful story about finding what you are born to do.
I see Alex’s role in the story as representing the “possibility of moments.” Moments happen in our lives all the time that have the potential to be significant, but only if we seize them and act on them.
I think of Alex in two possible outcomes:
Flash forward fifteen years and he is in his mid-thirties. In the first scenario, he is a grown man who has done nothing with his life but smoke pot every day, work meaningless part-time jobs, and play video games.
In the second scenario, Alex is sitting in a conference room, CEO of a successful business he started, talking to his employees about the moment that changed his life and set his course in life. He tells them about one of those conversations with Nick or Tom and how he came out of it a different person, with newfound direction and purpose in his life. After that day, he thought about the conversation often and moved forward with it as his mantra.
This quote has a different meaning in the book but it applies to Alex also...
“In every lifetime, sometimes more than once, a circumstance occurs that opens the heart to its fullest measure, where significant, meaningful change is possible, where failures and shortcomings can be absolved, and a person can be reborn. Some are healed or renewed by the experience, while others fail to recognize the opportunity and it passes by.”
Those moments with Tom and Nick either impacted Alex or they did not. It was up to him. Those were "potential moments."
In the last two weeks, I have received some great questions about my book from readers. In my next two blogs, I want to share them with you...
Chris' Question
Since I finished The Weight of a Moment, I have thought about it a lot, probably more than any book I’ve read. While the two protagonists, Tom and Nick, carry the story, I found myself thinking about Alex. He is a minor character but Tom and Nick both have deep conversations with him. Is there more to Alex than I realize?
My Answer
Great question, Chris. And yes, I viewed Alex as a minor but very important character. And yes again, his conversations with Tom and Nick are significant.
Alex is a typical kid who has no idea what he wants to do with his life. He is at a critical juncture in life and, like most recent high school grads, doesn’t even know it. Nick has a first conversation with him and tells him, “You don’t need to know what you want to do in life, only that you want to do something.” Then later, Tom tells him about his day at the Chesapeake Bay and the man with the Labrador retriever. It is a powerful story about finding what you are born to do.
I see Alex’s role in the story as representing the “possibility of moments.” Moments happen in our lives all the time that have the potential to be significant, but only if we seize them and act on them.
I think of Alex in two possible outcomes:
Flash forward fifteen years and he is in his mid-thirties. In the first scenario, he is a grown man who has done nothing with his life but smoke pot every day, work meaningless part-time jobs, and play video games.
In the second scenario, Alex is sitting in a conference room, CEO of a successful business he started, talking to his employees about the moment that changed his life and set his course in life. He tells them about one of those conversations with Nick or Tom and how he came out of it a different person, with newfound direction and purpose in his life. After that day, he thought about the conversation often and moved forward with it as his mantra.
This quote has a different meaning in the book but it applies to Alex also...
“In every lifetime, sometimes more than once, a circumstance occurs that opens the heart to its fullest measure, where significant, meaningful change is possible, where failures and shortcomings can be absolved, and a person can be reborn. Some are healed or renewed by the experience, while others fail to recognize the opportunity and it passes by.”
Those moments with Tom and Nick either impacted Alex or they did not. It was up to him. Those were "potential moments."
The Weight of a Moment - Author Q&A #2
Hello,
In the last two weeks, I have received some great questions about my book from readers. In my next two blogs, I want to share them with you...
Question from Charles
First, let me say that I loved The Weight of a Moment, and wouldn’t change a single word. It really made me think. But, I noticed in some of the negative reviews the notion that there is too much going on, too many subplots and minor characters. As the author, I am curious about your perspective?
My Answer
When I finished the first draft of The Weight of a Moment, I sought input from readers I know, knowledgable people with experience in publishing. A few suggested eliminating Robbie Reynolds or the diner scenes, and focusing on Tom and Nick. It's important as a writer to write freely and edit aggressively; the first draft was 350 pages, the final book a fraction of that.
While their suggestions were consistent with the modern formula for bestsellers, which says go directly from Point A to Point B and don’t risk losing the reader along the way, that’s not a book I’m interested in writing. In my mind, those books are basically the literary equivalent of chase scenes in movies. I want to write books that are meaningful, that make readers think and reflect, that are more than just a story.
For instance, the Robbie Reynolds’ subplot is a parable. Who would inject a parable into the middle of the story? Maybe, only me. I don’t know. Robbie’s story is poignant and powerful, and, in many ways, a counterbalance to Tom’s and Nick’s stories. Also, the diner scenes are the setting for some very important conversations between Nick and Tom as well as the source of the small town aesthetic. I viewed both those subplots as crucial to the book.
I would guess that a lot of the people who dislike the book, dislike it because it’s different than what they’re used to. They read five books at a time and aren’t interested in one that asks more of them. They are comfortable with the norm.
The storyline in The Weight of a Moment isn’t daunting, but it requires readers to focus, think, and even reflect at times. I think readers who are open to this challenge get a lot from the book, and that is why there are so many wonderful reviews. Reviewers have not simply enjoyed the book, many have been deeply touched by it. That’s the kind of book I want to write!
In the last two weeks, I have received some great questions about my book from readers. In my next two blogs, I want to share them with you...
Question from Charles
First, let me say that I loved The Weight of a Moment, and wouldn’t change a single word. It really made me think. But, I noticed in some of the negative reviews the notion that there is too much going on, too many subplots and minor characters. As the author, I am curious about your perspective?
My Answer
When I finished the first draft of The Weight of a Moment, I sought input from readers I know, knowledgable people with experience in publishing. A few suggested eliminating Robbie Reynolds or the diner scenes, and focusing on Tom and Nick. It's important as a writer to write freely and edit aggressively; the first draft was 350 pages, the final book a fraction of that.
While their suggestions were consistent with the modern formula for bestsellers, which says go directly from Point A to Point B and don’t risk losing the reader along the way, that’s not a book I’m interested in writing. In my mind, those books are basically the literary equivalent of chase scenes in movies. I want to write books that are meaningful, that make readers think and reflect, that are more than just a story.
For instance, the Robbie Reynolds’ subplot is a parable. Who would inject a parable into the middle of the story? Maybe, only me. I don’t know. Robbie’s story is poignant and powerful, and, in many ways, a counterbalance to Tom’s and Nick’s stories. Also, the diner scenes are the setting for some very important conversations between Nick and Tom as well as the source of the small town aesthetic. I viewed both those subplots as crucial to the book.
I would guess that a lot of the people who dislike the book, dislike it because it’s different than what they’re used to. They read five books at a time and aren’t interested in one that asks more of them. They are comfortable with the norm.
The storyline in The Weight of a Moment isn’t daunting, but it requires readers to focus, think, and even reflect at times. I think readers who are open to this challenge get a lot from the book, and that is why there are so many wonderful reviews. Reviewers have not simply enjoyed the book, many have been deeply touched by it. That’s the kind of book I want to write!
December 3, 2019
The Weight of a Moment - Honored as One of the "Best Indie Books of 2019"
Happy Holidays!
It is, indeed, that time of year again and I am writing to share some big news worthy of this celebratory season. My novel, The Weight of a Moment, has been honored as one of the “Best Indie Books of 2019” at Shelf Unbound Magazine. Needless to say, I’m ecstatic and proud of this honor; after all, there are literally millions of independent books published each year. I also want to use this occasion to extend my thanks to so many of you who supported the novel with your kind words and enthusiastic reviews. Many times, you lifted my spirits and made my day. Please continue your support by recommending the novel to friends, family, neighbors, and coworkers, or even giving it as a gift this holiday season.
Well, I have certainly gotten my holiday gift early. I wish you all a wonderful season also. Be well, Michael Bowe
It is, indeed, that time of year again and I am writing to share some big news worthy of this celebratory season. My novel, The Weight of a Moment, has been honored as one of the “Best Indie Books of 2019” at Shelf Unbound Magazine. Needless to say, I’m ecstatic and proud of this honor; after all, there are literally millions of independent books published each year. I also want to use this occasion to extend my thanks to so many of you who supported the novel with your kind words and enthusiastic reviews. Many times, you lifted my spirits and made my day. Please continue your support by recommending the novel to friends, family, neighbors, and coworkers, or even giving it as a gift this holiday season.
Well, I have certainly gotten my holiday gift early. I wish you all a wonderful season also. Be well, Michael Bowe
