Into the Fire

Mike, at 35 years of age, a husband and father, you became a victim of colon cancer. What led to that discovery? How did you digest the information? Being a Christian and the head of your household, what struggles did you face and how would you grade your reactions to this devastating diagnosis and the following experiences in receiving treatment?

Wow, that’s a loaded set of questions! I’ll try to take them one by one. In January of 2008 I started noticing some blood in my stool, didn’t think anything of it and let it go for a good month or so. It worsened and eventually I saw the family doctor about it. He sent me for a colonoscopy assuring me it was nothing serious but “just to be on the safe side.” Well, surprise, surprise, we found a golf-ball sized tumor hiding in there.

I was at work when the gastroenterologist called and said the biopsy showed the tumor was malignant. I had colon cancer. I think at first I was numb. I didn’t know what to expect and had no idea what the next ten months would hold for me. When the surgeon broke it all down, the surgeries, the ileostomy, the chemotherapy, and so forth I felt sucker-punched. I was not prepared at all.

I can honestly say I was never angry at God, I never blamed him, but I did question Him and plead with him that if I had to travel this road (1) He would spare my life (for my family’s sake) and (2) it would not be in vain. As for my reaction, boy, cancer brings with it a slew of emotions and struggles and doubts. I wrestled with depression, anxiety, fear, and everything in between. There were times when I would sit and watch my girls play in the back yard and just cry and cry for no reason. I was very sentimental and emotional. All natural and normal things when dealing with cancer. But during that whole time and when I was in the deepest parts of the valley I’ve never felt closer to God. His grace is sufficient. It can’t be explained. It’s weird, though. I look back on the whole ordeal now and everything I went through and the side effects of the chemo and the surgeries and various hospitalizations and it all seems so much worse now than it did when I was going through it. That’s God’s grace at work.

I know you came to the place where you determined that your battle with cancer proved to be a blessing because of the perspective it gave you. Tell us your perspective and if you are now cancer-free.

Well, I can’t say I’m cancer free until I’ve been “clean” for five years. This past March (St. Patrick’s Day, to be exact) I celebrated two years. As for the perspective thing, cancer has a way of bringing the truly important things to the surface and pushing those things that only seem important to the background. I don’t get so worked up over things anymore. Yes, I have my moments, of course I do. I’m still human (I think, anyway). But overall I take things in stride. This causes tension sometimes because when those around me are upset or frustrated or aggravated about something and my response to it is “whatever” (whether spoken or not) they tend to think I don’t care. It’s not that I don’t care, it’s that I realize whatever it is really isn’t that important in the whole scope of life and eternity.

Also, cancer forces you to face the very real fact that life is short and every day is a gift from God. Anything can change on a dime at any moment. I was a totally healthy 35-year-old. No health problems whatsoever. None. And one day I’m told “I’m sorry but you have colon cancer.” Huh? How did that happen? Life happens. It’s part of life outside the garden. I try to live each day to its fullest now. I don’t always succeed but I try. And that’s all I can do . . . keep trying.

Did you grow up with Jesus or meet Him later on in life?

I turned my life over to Jesus after seeing the change He made in my father’s life. My dad was a drunk during my first nine years of life. When I was nine he found his way to Jesus and completely turned his life around. That kind of change doesn’t go unnoticed. It wasn’t long after that that I made the same decision to follow Jesus. I was nine. Since then I guess you could say I’ve grown up with Jesus. Spiritually, that is. He’s brought me through some very hard times and it all has served to mature me. I still have my immature moments where I question and pout and whine, but that too is part of growing up.

Authors must determine who their audience(s) will be. Just by the titles of your first two novels, it’s obvious you didn’t have the “Bonnet Book” readers in mind. So who do figure is your audience, and who perhaps do you hope your audience will be?

Well, marketing people will tell you not to say “everyone” because it simply isn’t true. My target reader is a Christian between the ages of sixteen and infinity who is a real person with flaws and struggles and cuts and scrapes from living life outside the garden. He or she is someone who enjoys a fast-paced story with a bit of horror, a supernatural twist, and a message worth pondering. Occasionally, I’ll get a parent asking if my books are appropriate for “tweens.” Generally, I say they aren’t simply because of thematic elements or the horror factor but only a parent knows her child and if your fourteen-year-old regularly reads adult fiction then my books would probably be okay.

Darlington Woods will be your third published novel following The Hunted and Scream. What do you feel is different about this book from your two previous novels? Of the three do you have a favorite?

Well, for one, it’s a lot more personal. DW was the first thing I wrote after battling cancer for a year and I had a lot of pent-up emotion to pour into the story. At the time I didn’t even realize how much the story mirrored my own struggles but now, reading back over it, all kinds of stuff jumps out at me. Some of it was intentional but a lot was subconscious, I think. Also, DW is the scariest book to date. I got creeped out several times just writing it . . . and I knew what was coming.

My favorite? Hmmm. Most writers will say their books are like children and they love them all the same just in different ways. Maybe that’s true. I don’t know. My favorite is DW, though. I love the characters and the setting and the dialogue and the scariness. The story just came together for me, and I think the message is very powerful.

What can we expect for future novels?

Well, I’m working on my next book now. It’s a bit of horror, a bit of psychological thriller, a bit of a character study. Oh, yeah, there are some historical aspects to it as well. The story answers this question: How far can a man fall and still be touched by love?

And . . . I recently signed a contract with my publisher for four more books running through 2013. That should keep me pretty busy.

Do you have any other novels hidden away and deemed “not for public consumption”?

Of course. I think every writer does. I have one that will probably never see the light of day again. It’s buried so deep on my hard drive you’d need a backhoe to dig it out. I have another, though, that I absolutely love. It’s not right for my current publisher but someday it will make it into the light. I know it will. It has to. It’s a very compelling story.

Tomorrow: Part Two