MB: One day I thought it was funny to imagine Rumpelstiltskin filing a lawsuit in the unlikely environment of fairy tale land. He had been promised custody of the baby of the miller's daughter-turned-Queen and for her own reasons, she didn't deliver. So what was Rumpelstiltskin to do? From that point I reflected that the Grimm Brothers created some interesting characters in their fairy tale but the tale was all too brief. I wanted to flesh out individuals such as:

1) Rumpelstiltskin, the brilliant elf – what was behind his unusual request for a baby?

2) The King – what was behind the man with the twisted attitude whose marriage proposal was a "make gold or death" ultimatum to the miller's daughter?

3) The miller's daughter / Queen (a stronger-than-usual fairy tale female lead, one of the few of her gender who can't wait for a Prince Charming to solve her problems but instead must face up to them)

So, I wrote "Rumpelstiltskin vs. Miller” to provide a sequel to the story (what happened after the Queen guessed Rumpelstiltskin's name) and a "prequel" (what influenced the development of the characters we read in the classic fairy tale).

SQ: What are the book’s basic messages and how did you come up with the ideas? 

MB: I thought about the King’s tyrannical attitude and what it was like for people to live under such rulers. That was the most realistic part of the Grimm Brothers "Rumpelstiltskin", the dilemma people face when they have to cope with arbitrary rulers. That still happens today. My message is to show that people can empower themselves and do so in constructive ways...

SQ: What are some of the book’s themes?

MB: One is that I expand on the original Rumpelstiltskin's fulfillment of the age-old dream of alchemy. I put it in a realistic setting – the Grimm Brothers’ Europe of a few hundred years ago – and answer the question, "What would have happened if someone could produce instant gold? How would that have changed history?" Also what if there really were non-human thinking species like elves and ogres? How might they have affected a country's development?

And I thought it was important to fully develop the character of the miller's daughter / Queen. All too often fairy tale women are limited characters ... The few who aren't are usually supernatural, like witches. I saw in the "Rumpelstiltskin" plot the chance to develop an ordinary female character into someone who was a good person and an independent individual with her own human (not supernatural) strength.

SQ: How long did it take you to write the book and did you hire an editor?

MB: It took me about five years and I did not use an editor. My publisher did the editing.

SQ: What credentials were needed for Dorrance Publishing to accept it for publication?

MB: Dorrance did not ask for any specific credentials, just to see the manuscript which they liked.

SQ: Is there a chance you would be willing to share a writing sample from the book, one you feel best exemplifies the book’s “trial of the millennium” theme?

MB: Actually we already have a sample available which anyone can get by logging onto my website www.thegoldwizard.com and signing up for it. It is not part of the trial chapter but I would be open to sharing a sample that is.

SQ: The book’s characters, particularly the miller’s daughter, are sensitively and keenly conveyed. Nevertheless as a first-time published novelist, you must market the book hardcore. In what ways do you do so? Which ways have worked best?

MB: I worked with a marketing professional to contact local booksellers and librarians and also have advertised "Rumpelstitlskin vs. Miller" on a science-fiction and fantasy website www.sffworld.com. But the best results came when I worked with my former employer Nationwide Insurance and sold several copies of my book in a charity book-sale.

SQ: That’s fascinating! Has your book sold well? Do you have a literary agent?

MB: No, sales have been slow. And I don't have a literary agent.

SQ: How do you support yourself financially while writing?

MB: My day job profession is actually in records management. I've worked for such companies as Nationwide Insurance and Huntington Banks.

SQ: Do you have other publications in the works? If so, I would love to hear descriptions of each!

MB: I've also written but not published a short child's level version of "Rumpelstiltskin" and a "Rumpelstiltskin vs. Miller" play. My other unpublished works are sequels I've written for the "Wizard of Oz" and the "Princess Diaries" movie.

SQ: Is there an author that influenced your writing? If so, who?

MB: No there's no specific author who influenced me. The influence came from my extensive reading of history and great writers like Winston Churchill, Arthur Schlesinger Jr. and Bruce Catton.

SQ: Would you consider yourself to be a successful author or writer? Why or why not? 

MB: I feel I am successful when it comes to producing quality work. In fact I've received many compliments for my writing from friends and family. However from a monetary point of view I haven't been successful.

SQ: What advice can you give aspiring authors regarding publishing a first book?

MB: If you feel you can't find the time to work on a book, you're wrong. If you're truly interested in writing you can find the time. You should also have absolute confidence in your work as a prerequisite to having it published. 

SQ: Is there any information you would like to add to this interview?

MB: I'll sum up "Rumpelstiltskin vs. Miller" by noting it is a combination of folklore and history. I combined a classic fairy tale and put it in a realistic setting somewhere in Europe a few hundred years ago. There I offer alternative history and explore what might have happened had the dream of alchemy been achieved.

A minor message is that I wish to show the correct history of politics and colours. Today the American media is wrong when they put Democratic states in blue and Republican red in political maps. It should be the reverse. So one of the key moments in my book is where it recreates the dramatic incident that established the political meaning of colours.

SQ: How intriguing, Michael. Your novel has all the ingredients of a future bestseller. Thanks so much for chatting with me!

MB: You're welcome.