#ThisorThatFriday with Michael Rigg
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I would like to welcome the amazing Michael Rigg to the blog for #ThisorThatFriday. And congratulations on your Agatha Nomination!
Favorite thing to do when you have free time: I have always been an ardent student of the American Civil War. Whenever I can, I like to visit Civil War battlefields. I have so little free time to do that; however, so I have to take advantage of whatever opportunities arise. For example, one of my children attended college in a town just north of Richmond, Virginia. When I went to pick her up for an upcoming holiday break, on the way from Virginia Beach, I visited (very briefly) each of the battlefields of the “Seven Days Battles,” in reverse. (IYKYK.)
The thing you’ll always move to the bottom of your to do list: Work around the house (yard work, house maintenance, etc.) often aren’t on the to do list at all, much less on the list but moved to the bottom.
Hardest thing about being a writer: Marketing, e.g., social media, website upkeep, talking to readers about my books and short stories, business aspects of book sales, etc. are the hardest thing about being a writer. Because of all these necessary, but difficult, aspects of being a writer, finding time to write becomes more difficult.
Easiest thing about being a writer: Conducting research, attending writing conferences and classes, and actually writing are the easiest parts of being a writer.
Things you will run to the store for at midnight: Especially as I grow older, it would have to be something very important, almost an emergency, to get me to run to the store at midnight. One situation might be where someone in the family needed medicine (over the counter or prescription). (When the children were younger, that might include diapers, formula, etc.) Beyond that, I can’t fathom a situation that would cause me to go to the store in the middle of the night.
Things you never put on your shopping list: I understand the logic of making a shopping list and sticking to it. With that said, I seldom, if ever, put “junk food” on the shopping list. That’s not to say I never buy junk food. But if it’s not on the shopping list, it doesn’t have calories, does it?
Favorite snacks: I like salty/savory snacks, though sweet snacks are good, too. Unfortunately, I have to avoid carbs and it’s difficult to find good snacks that are also low carb. If I had to pick one snack, it would likely be chips, e.g., potato chips, tortilla chips.
Things that make you want to gag: Spoiled milk, that you didn’t realize was spoiled before you took a drink, is on the top of the “gag list.”
Something you’re really good at: I am extraordinarily adept at procrastination.
Something you’re really bad at: I am “organizationally challenged.”
Something you wanted to be when you were a kid: I grew up reading the Hardy Boys. Part of the series (though not a novel) was The Hardy Boys Detective Handbook. At one point, I remember reading a related book that described crime solving techniques, e.g., fingerprinting, taking castings of footprints, etc. I think that was the beginning of my fascination with forensic methods of solving crimes. At some point, I wanted to be an F.B.I. agent. I even learned how to make fingerprint powder. What a mess.
Something you do that you never dreamed you’d do: Something I never dreamed I’d do? Write a novel.
Last best thing you ate: Without doubt, the last best-thing I ate was a center-cut filet mignon served at the Grand Marshal’s Wine Dinner held at G. W. Fins Restaurant in New Orleans as part of the Krewe of Cork’s activities during this year’s Mardi Gras.
Last thing you regret eating: That’s easy. I ate a couple of different poultry products a few months ago that apparently had “turned” and gave me food poisoning. I think I know which of the two it was and have avoided it. But I’ve also cut down on the amount of poultry products I eat in general.
The funniest thing to happen to you: This is a repeat from my first interview. During the time I was Counsel for the Navy Exchange Service Command, I attended a legal conference in Naples, Italy. Over the weekend before the conference, I volunteered to work at our Navy Exchange retail store during a customer appreciation event. My assignment was to help ring up purchases of high-end sunglasses and jewelry. One of the customers asked me to try on a pair of designer sunglasses because my head was the same shape as his father’s head. Translation? I got to model the sunglasses because I was old and fat, like his dad. I made the sale, though.
The most embarrassing thing to happen to you: Another repeat from my first interview… I don’t want to go into too much detail, but there was one incident when I was on travel for my government job that involved a very hot shower in a London hotel where the steam (allegedly) set off a fire alarm, resulting in a rather large desk clerk with a thick Russian accent banging on the door and barging into the room—with me still in the shower. There may or may not have been threats of arrest, fine, and imprisonment involved.
The most exciting thing about your writing life: Right now, the most exciting thing about my writing life is having may debut novel, Voices of the Elysian Fields, chosen as a finalist for an Agatha Award in the Best First Novel category at this year’s Malice Domestic.
The one thing you wish you could do over in your writing life: I wish I had done a better job at preparing for the marketing aspects of being a writer. I listened, learned, and followed the basic advice. I have a website. I have a presence on Facebook, Instagram, TwitterX, and Threads. But I don’t maintain my website as much as I should. And while I’ve learned a lot about the other social media platforms, I still don’t understand some of the nuances. This has caused me to struggle at the best way to market my works and, in the present situation, “advertise” my novel to attendees at Malice Domestic so I can earn their vote for Voices of the Elysian Fields as “Best First Novel.” Here are some links about the novel:
Book Trailer: "Voices of the Elysian Fields: A Jonathan Gray, M.D. Mystery" - by Michael Rigg - BOOK TRAILER
NetGalley: Voices of the Elysian Fields | Michael Rigg | 9781685129248 | NetGalley
Amazon Book Link: Amazon.com: Voices of the Elysian Fields: A Jonathan Gray, M.D. Mystery: 9781685129248: Rigg, Michael: Books
The nicest thing a reader said to you: Among the nicest things said to me (indirectly) by a reader are in a review of Voices of the Elysian Fields on NetGalley:
Oh. My. Gosh!!!! What did I just read?!?! Wow. This book was absolutely fantastic! So much suspense and I couldn’t stop thinking about how it would end.
The craziest thing a reader said to you: I’m not sure if this qualifies or not, but I was both puzzled and entertained by two other reviews left in Net Galley about Voices of the Elysian Fields. First, there’s this:
I'm very familiar with New Orleans, and so I adored the setting of the book. I just felt that the writing, the dialogue, even the description of the setting was forced, as though it was coming from a person who wasn't at all familiar with any of this. Perhaps this author isn't.
And then there’s this:
…it is hard for those not from New Orleans to truly capture the city and its inhabitants… Rigg has obviously spent a good amount of time in NOLA, and spoken with people who have educated him on some nuances, as they definitely show through in this book…
Can't wait to see more books in this series!
Feedback—positive or negative—is always a gift. But sometimes a writer receives feedback from one source that’s difficult to mesh with feedback from another source. Maybe that’s the “crazy” part.
Best piece of advice you received from another writer: The best advice I’ve received from another writer is to stop using the word “pantser” to describe my approach to writing. Author Steven James wrote a book called Story Trumps Structure. He refers to the traditional description of “pantsing” as being “writing organically.” In essence, the story flows logically and necessarily from one scene to another. Stress about the flow of the story and not about hitting plot points in a certain order or at a precise point in the narrative. Related advice is to stop feeling guilty about pantsing/writing organically. (Another book by Steven James worth checking out is Delve, Pivot, Propel.)
Something you would tell a younger you about your writing: Believe in yourself. “Your” writing is “yours.” Don’t try to be or imitate another writer’s style. Learn from others but develop your own voice and style.
About Michael:
Michael Rigg, an attorney for more than four decades, writes mysteries and thrillers set in two very different locations: Virginia Beach (where he lives) and New Orleans (which he visits as often as possible “for research,” including participation in three Mardi Gras Krewes). He is a retired Navy Judge Advocate and a retired civilian government attorney, formerly working for the Department of the Navy Office of the General Counsel. He is a member of International Thriller Writers, Mystery Writers of America, and both the Sisters in Crime national organization and its Southeastern Virginia Chapter—Mystery by the Sea.
Mike’s debut novel, Voices of the Elysian Fields, is a finalist for an Agatha Award in the Best First Novel category at Malice Domestic. His second novel in the series, Shadows of Frenchmen, is scheduled for release by Level Best Books on May 5, 2026.
Let’s Be Social:
Website: www.michaelrigg.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/michael.rigg.author
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/michael.rigg716/
Twitter/X: Michael Rigg@MDR102030
