illustrator has teamed up with The Weekly to give away a copy of his latest book. See competition entry form below
Successful children’s book author and illustrator, M. Dane has just released his 7th book, Max and the Haunted Hotel, but just who is this M. Dane and where did he come from?
Well his real name is Michael Garozzo and he grew up and went to school in Cobar!
When Michael completed Year 12 at Cobar High in 2004, he admits he didn’t really have any ideas of what he wanted to do career-wise.
“I had very little direction and zero career aspirations,” Michael told The Cobar Weekly.
“The only thing I knew for certain was that I didn’t want to work in the mines.
“I had a friend who was joining the army, so I thought I might as well check it out too.
“It was a decision that changed my life.
“I spent 17 years in the army, and I was lucky enough to travel all over the world and meet some incredible people.
“I served in various units and locations, and I gained valuable skills and experience that have helped me in my writing career.
“It was a challenging and rewarding time in my life, and I will always look back on it with fond memories,” he said.
Michael began his professional writing career in 2013.
“While working overseas, I found myself in need of a creative outlet as a distraction.
“I found that the days went by a lot quicker when I was building worlds inside my head, and what better world to build than one for kids?
“Children’s books allow for endless imagination and creativity.”
Michael said he gave writing a try and began to develop the concept for his first novel.
“I fell in love with the process,” he said.
“It took me four years to complete the writing process and, in 2017, I finally published it.
“Since then, I have been consistently engaged in professional writing.”
He’s now a fulltime author having transitioned into “author life” last September after finishing his time in the army.
“It’s been a big change, but I couldn’t be happier,” Michael said.
“I have to say, being an author is a lot of work. I work far longer days now than I did in the army, but the difference is that I’m doing something I love. It’s incredibly fulfilling to be able to share my stories with readers and to know that they are enjoying them.
“Being an author is my full-time occupation and I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
He said the writing process is a bit quicker now and his smaller chapter books for kids aged 7-9 years, take about two to three months to write.
“This doesn’t include the illustrating and publishing process, which can take a few more months.
“It’s a long and sometimes grueling process, but seeing the finished product in print makes it all worth it.”
Michael describes his style of writing as “fantasy adventure with a healthy dose of humour”.
“I try to infuse as much humour as I can into my writing, as I believe it adds an extra layer of enjoyment for the reader.
“I keep the tone light-hearted and fun in the children’s books I write, as it makes the reading experience more enjoyable for the younger audience,” he said.
“I have dabbled in writing adult fantasy books in the past.
“But more recently, I published a young adult fantasy book, The Fire I Called, last year, which has had a good run.
“I wrote this book because it was a story that I really wanted to tell, and it couldn’t be told to a younger audience.
“The setting of the book, the Cotswold in England, was also a big draw for me as it’s a place I’ve always wanted to visit.
“Since lockdown didn’t allow me to travel, I decided to visit it on the page instead.”
Michael admits the hardest part of the whole writing process is finding an idea to write about.
“It’s picking one of the hundreds of ideas that I have buzzing around in my head. Ideas are everywhere, they can come from anything, from a random thought, a dream, a conversation, a news article, anything. But most of my ideas stem from a ‘What if” question. For example, what if there was a superhero who was too embarrassed to use his superpowers?”
Michael said many of his characters are inspired by people he knows, including members of his family.
“I love to include people who have been a big part of my life in my novels, it’s a way for me to give them a little shout out.
“One of my earlier novels had all of my nieces and nephews as characters, and the protagonist in my new novel, Max and the Haunted Hotel, is named after my cousin’s son, and the haunted hotel is inspired by the house they live in.
“It’s a fun way to pay homage to the people I love and I think it adds a personal touch to my stories,” he said.
He’s also started illustrating for his novels which he said is time-consuming but rewarding when people say they love his pictures.
Michael has sent The Weekly a signed copy of his latest book to giveaway. Competition details are advertised on this page
