Jon Michaelsen – Romance Lives Forever

This quick interview includes info about the author, and introduces the story.

About the Author

Jon Michaelsen is a writer of fiction in the mystery, suspense and thriller genres where the main characters are gay. While this doesn’t always define or limit his characters, it does provide opportunities for exciting and challenging plots. Many diverse writers have influenced his style over the years; among them are the ever popular David Baldacci, John Grisham and Michael Crichton, to groundbreaking novelists Patricia Nell Warren, Michael Nava and Felice Picano.

A southerner born near the banks of the Chattahoochee River, he moved with his family to Atlanta, Georgia in the late 1960s, where he remains today. He studied English and Journalism at Gainesville College in north Georgia before transferring to Valdosta State College near the Georgia-Florida line to finish out his studies. While at Valdosta State, he wrote and edited the college newspaper’s Entertainment page, published features and a few of his short stories in the campus rag.

His debut mystery novel, Pretty Boy Dead, was a 2014 Lambda Literary Award Finalist in Gay Mystery.

He lives with his husband of 30 years and four monstrous terriers.

Interview with Jon Michaelsen

Why did you write this book?

I’ve always wanted to include the beautiful coastal town of Tybee Island, Georgia in my writing, but I needed to have the perfect plot to really capture the allure of the islet. The story finally came to me a few years ago while traveling back and forth from Atlanta to Jacksonville, Florida to visit with my ailing grandmother. The long hours driving alone on the road provided the perfect medium to stoke my muse.

What is your favorite genre to read?

I write mostly in the mystery/suspense genre, which is also my favorite to read. My favorite pastime is curling up on the sofa or a favorite reading lounger and spending hours getting lost in a good mystery.

Who is your favorite character from fiction (not including your own)?

Just one? There are so many! I’d say it’s a toss-up between Jason Bourne and Alex Delaware.

What are you working on at the moment, and will see from you in coming months?

I am currently writing the second Kendall Parker mystery, which I hope to get the first draft to my editor by the end of this year. The first in the series, Pretty Boy Dead, will be moving to a new publisher for re-release later this year with a fresh look, and available in audiobook.

Please tell us about your latest book.

Can a broken heart find love at the bottom of the ocean?

Jonathan Lemke thought spending two weeks alone with his partner in a beachside cottage would help rekindle the lost passion of their ten-year union. He’d chosen Tybee Island, a quiet seaside community on the Georgia coast east of Historic Savannah. He grew up on the pristine shores of the barrier islet, a place that continues to hold a special place in his heart.

The romantic surprise backfires when Paul, Jonathan’s partner, rushes off to Chicago for the chance to woo a high profile client, leaving Jonathan alone and brokenhearted, but a chance meeting with a mysterious stranger linked to an ancient island legend just might provide a chance at discovering forever love.

However, someone with strong familial ties to Tybee is intent on exposing its secrets, and avenging a grudge decades in the making. An assailant so threatened by the forces of nature that defy explanation, he’ll stop at nothing to unmask the revered island lore…even if he must kill to prove it.

Will Jonathan survive the assailant’s attempts at revenge? Or can a childhood save him from certain death?