Hemet resident fulfills dreams of authoring book
HEMET, Calif. — When Michael Darrow was young, he found his mind filled with creative ideas and stories that he would share with his family and friends. Encouraged by the positive reactions from those he shared his stories and ideas with, by the time he was just 12-years-old, he began flirting with the idea of writing his own books.
Many years later, after spending time in the armed forces and later serving his community as a law enforcement officer, Michael decided “it was time to pull the pin” and actually try his hand at writing. As a result he recently self-published his first book, The Federation Trilogy, which is now available for purchase.
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Set in the not-so-distant future, “The Federation Trilogy” follows the adventures of 23rd Century Federation Marshal Max Pappus.
Having been shot down and injured on a hostile planet, the marshal must rely on his ship’s AI computer and a small tribe of friendly inhabitants of the planet he finds himself marooned on.
Despite falling in love with an inhabitant of the hostile planet while repairing his vessel, the marshal finds himself driven by a lust for revenge against those who left him stranded, and he sets out on a trek that takes him to other worlds and his ultimate destiny.
“Will Max get his revenge?” Michael asked. “Will he return for the girl?”
“The only way to find out is to read the book,” the author enthused.
Now 60-years-old, Michael explained, “I wrote the book because I’ve always had these stories in my head but never had time before retirement. But, when I retired last year I decided to give writing a shot.”
“At first it was just an hour a day,” Michael said. “But it really adds up after a few months.”
“I love telling stories,” Michael continued; adding that he has a fantasy, ‘Maxwell Tart & the Witch of the Black Oak’ currently undergoing editing which will be coming out next month.
He is now writing an as-yet untitled crime drama/police murder mystery.
Asked where he gets the inspirations for his books, Michael explained, “My ideas sort of pop into my head.”
“I draw on people and places I’ve known for a more 3-dimensional story,” the author continued.
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Describing the self-publishing process, Michael said the biggest hurdle he had to overcome was the editing process.
“The editing part of writing was a huge hurdle in the past because it’s just not fun,” Michael explained; adding, “Doing the self-publishing option on Amazon was intimidating at first but I made it through, got my manuscript properly formatted, designed a cover, and pulled the pin!”
Now that his first book has been published and his next book is days from being available, Michael said the best part of getting his book finished was fulfilling his life-long dream of becoming a published author.
“It was a lot of hard work, but I was determined to get it done and I could not be happier with the results,” explained Michael.
The Federation Trilogy can be found on Amazon for $9.99 and Kindle for $4.99.
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Trevor Montgomery, 49, moved in 2017 to the Intermountain area of Shasta County from Riverside County and runs Riverside County News Source and Shasta County News Source. Additionally, he writes or has written for several other news organizations; including Riverside County based newspapers, Valley News, (the now defunct) Valley Chronicle, Anza Valley Outlook, and Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle; as well as Bonsall/Fallbrook Village News in San Diego County and Mountain Echo in Shasta County.
Trevor spent 10 years in the U.S. Army as an Orthopedic Specialist before joining the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department in 1998. He was medically retired after losing his leg, breaking his back, and suffering both spinal cord and brain injuries in an off-duty accident. (Click here to see segment of Discovery Channel documentary of Trevor’s accident.)
During his time with the sheriff’s department, Trevor worked at several different stations; including Robert Presley Detention Center, Southwest Station in Temecula, Hemet/Valle Vista Station, Ben Clark Public Safety Training Center, and Lake Elsinore Station; along with other locations.
Trevor’s assignments included Corrections, Patrol, DUI Enforcement, Boat and Personal Water-Craft based Lake Patrol, Off-Road Vehicle Enforcement, Problem Oriented Policing Team, and Personnel/Background Investigations. He finished his career while working as a Sex Crimes and Child Abuse Investigator and was a court-designated expert in child abuse and child sex-related crimes.
Trevor has been married for more than 30 years and was a foster parent to more than 60 children over 13 years. He is now an adoptive parent and his “fluid family” includes 13 children and 18 grandchildren.
I have a story for a book but no one to write it. It’s my life story I had an accident on my way to work in 2008 died and have been thru struggles to get back to now. I suffer with a TBI leaving me permanently disabled. The hardships both comical and will bring a person to tears. I would write it myself but I have disabilities that work against it. I saw this article about your success and it made me think I need to reach out to you. If you could help me or point me in the right direction please msg Kimpossible.