Extinction was the winner of the Mystery/Suspense/Thriller category of the 2022 IndieReader Discovery Awards, where undiscovered talent meets people with the power to make a difference.
Following find an interview with author Michael J. McLaughlin.
What is the name of the book and when was it published?
Extinction, 2013
What’s the book’s first line?
“The initial approach of the beast was imperceptible.”
What’s the book about? Give us the “pitch”.
Woolly mammoth researchers in Siberia are dying from a bone-disintegrating disease, and someone is attempting a cover-up. With blocked communication and dwindling supplies, Doctor Drew Chambers and the remaining researchers fight for their lives thousands of miles from civilization. But will they survive the triple threat – the disease, the Arctic, and the armed militia determined to eliminate the evidence of an experiment gone awry?
What inspired you to write the book? A particular person? An event?
I read an article about the Jarkov Mammoth discovered on the Taimyr Peninsula of Siberia. An international group of researchers gathered at an Arctic research station to systematically excavate and study the frozen remains, with the possible outcome of cloning the DNA to bring woolly mammoths back from extinction. I was fascinated by the research but started to wonder, “Hmmm, what if something went really wrong all the way up there in the Arctic?”
What’s the most distinctive thing about the main character? Who-real or fictional-would you say the character reminds you of?
Doctor Drew Chambers’ dedication and desperation to fund the research foundation named for his son leads him to accept the daunting assignment in the Artic, against his better judgment. Chambers most closely resembles the me I’d like to be if faced with similar circumstances.
What’s the main reason someone should really read this book?
This medical thriller depicts the perils of experimentation gone wrong, but also the unyielding will to survive. I hope that readers find this story frightening, inspiring, and all too plausible.
If they made your book into a movie, who would you like to see play the main character(s)?
Mark Ruffalo would be a great lead as Doctor Drew Chambers. Rainn Wilson would be perfect as the neurotic and unscrupulous Thorton Grovely. One of my favorite actresses, Marisa Tomei, would be the brilliant researcher, Maria Pelligrino.
When did you first decide to become an author?
I wrote and illustrated a book of short stories when I was ten years old, and my need to create has increased over time. I wrote short stories and novels in my limited spare time as a surgeon and then while growing my medical communications business. You have to love writing to work on scientific manuscripts all day and then squeeze in the creative work in the wee hours. I have always had my sights on becoming a full-time author.
Is this the first book you’ve written?
I have written four suspense novels and a nonfiction book about nonclinical careers for physicians.
What do you do for work when you’re not writing?
I used to be a surgeon, and then the owner of a medical communications business. I am now pursuing my life-long dream to be a full-time novelist.
How much time do you generally spend on your writing?
Eight hours/day.
What’s the best and the hardest part of being an indie?
The best part is the degree of control I have over all aspects of my career. The hardest part is sometimes feeling like I’m yelling all alone into a hurricane when trying to market my books. I’m grateful to IndieReader for helping to shine a spotlight on writers like me.
Would you go traditional if a publisher came calling? If so, why?
Yes, if the fit seemed right. Through my experience owning a medical communications company, I recognize the value of an effective team and the unique expertise each member brings to the mission. A supportive publisher could supplement the efforts I am already making to perfect and market my books.
Is there something in particular that motivates you (fame? fortune?)
I want as many people as possible to read and enjoy my books.
Which writer, living or dead, do you most admire?
I was inspired by Doctor Michael Crichton’s thought provoking, scientific stories and the evolution of his unique career. I enjoy reading the work of talented physician authors, including Robin Cook, Tess Gerritsen, and others.
Which book do you wish you could have written?
The Andromeda Strain.