Michael Thal and I have visited many times back and forth, sharing our love of YA books and children of all ages. Here are a few snippets of Michael’s books and some more information about this new author!
The Legend of Koolura
The Legend of Koolura shows the metamorphosis of a pre-teen girl with extraordinary psychic powers overcoming a stalker bent on her destruction.
It’s a middle grade novel about a sixth grade Armenian girl and how she obtained the cool powers. She has the ability to dematerialize at will and reappear where she chooses. She can move objects with her mind and she can even defy gravity! But will these powers be of any use in stopping a stalker intent on her destruction? This degenerate is determined to retrieve Koolura’s unrealized cool powers and hurt any of her friends who get into his way.
As the hour approaches for Koolura’s final confrontation with her nemesis, she may finally find vengeance to the man who killed her mother.
Goodbye Tchaikovsky- (Won honorable mention for his publisher)
A violin virtuoso is plunged into a deaf world, necessitating him to adapt to a new culture and language in order to survive.
David Rothman is an overnight success. He performs Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto with rave reviews attracting the attention of the Queen of England. His future is laid out for him like a well-lit freeway. Then, on his twelfth birthday, David suffers from an irreparable hearing loss, plunging him into a silent world.
How will David communicate with his friends? What about school? Where does his future lie? The novel shows how an adolescent boy copes with deafness.
Author Bio
Michael L. Thal, an accomplished freelancer, is the author of The Legend of Koolura and Goodbye Tchaikovsky. He has written and published over eighty articles for magazines and newspapers including Highlights for Children, The Los Angeles Times, and San Diego Family Magazine. You can learn more about him at www.michaelthal.com.
Michael lives in Sherman Oaks, CA. He’s the proud father of two adult daughters, Channie and Koren, and the grandfather of Arielle. You can reach him at michaelthal@sbcglobal.net.
What are you working on right now?
Currently, I’m working on the third installment of the Koolura series. Last fall Solstice Publishing accepted Koolura and the Mystery at Camp Saddleback for publication. It is set in the mountains outside of Santa Barbara, CA. the summer after The Legend of Koolura ended. Here Koolura makes friends with a rock star, a deaf girl, and almost gets herself killed by a jealous admirer. The third installment, Koolura and the Mayans, was just started a few months ago, so I am not sure where it will finally go.
What do you love best about writing?
I love the freedom writing gives me. I taught public school for 28 years. I had to be at work before 8:00 AM and usually stayed preparing lessons and grading papers until 5:00. Now I can wake up when I choose and work the hours I want. Though the writing process can be grueling, once a chapter or article is written the feeling of accomplishment is unparalleled.
Who is your favorite author and what is your favorite book?
My favorite author is Stuart Woods who writes a series of books about a lawyer named Stone Barrington. I think I’ve read most of those novels and gobble up the new ones as soon as they are published.
Who or what inspires you?
Inspiration comes from many different corners of my life. For example, my novel, Goodbye Tchaikovsky, was inspired by the ordeal I lived through after I awoke one morning deaf. Doctors diagnosed my hearing loss was caused by a virus. Years after, I wrote the story of David Rothman, a violin prodigy who lost all of his hearing. My daughter, Channie, inspired The Legend of Koolura. When she was in sixth grade she decided she didn’t like to read. I asked her, “If I write about a super cool girl your age, would you read that book?” She agreed. The book was finally published 15 years later when my little girl had a daughter of her own. And guess what? Channie read the book.
What genre is your favorite to write?
I enjoy writing middle grade novels and YA books probably because I taught that age group for so many years and understand what they like in a good book.
What is one thing your readers might not know about you?
I’m fluent in American Sign Language (ASL). After my doctor told me my hearing loss was progressive, I enrolled in ASL classes. Knowledge of the language of the deaf makes me feel in control of my hearing loss. Also, at parties, since I rarely know what people are talking about, some will ask me to show them a few signs. That’s always a lot of fun and helps me to get to meet new people.
Visit Michael Thal @ http://www.michaelthal.com