Motivated by his lifelong passion for storytelling and inspired by his new surroundings, his efforts have resulted in a “rhyming space adventure” called ‘Nebu: The Lonely Alien’ that promises to entertain children, parents, and even aliens.
Pictured: ‘Nebu: The Lonely Alien’ is described as a “rhyming space adventure, full of unique and colourful characters.”
The book follows the title character, Nebu, as he journeys through the galaxy on his meteor, meeting aliens of all shapes and sizes in search of friendship.
“With my sons as my creative directors and my wife as my design wizard, we’ve created something that’s fun for kids and parents alike,” said Mike.
The author hopes his debut book will not only spark imaginations but also bring families together through its humour and charm.
Express sat down with the author to learn more about his work, inspirations, and plans for the future…
What inspired the story of ‘Nebu: The Lonely Alien?’
“I think the story of Nebu was inspired by our move to Norway – a new country, a new language and new friends to make.
“Before moving here I was worried about my boys making friends (I shouldn’t have been), but not for one second did I think that I was going to have to go out and do the same and make friends of my own.
Pictured: Mike and his family used to live in Jersey, but moved to Norway in June 2023.
“I mean, it’s hard to make friends, no matter how old you are.
“I actually think it’s harder, the older you get. Finding someone else with the same interests, hobbies or sense of humour can be hard.
“But at the end of the day, it’s worth it and what’s great is, you meet lots of interesting characters along the way…just like Nebu does.”
Can you tell us a bit more about the illustrations? How did you come up with them?
“I’ve always loved illustrating, painting and creating characters but I’ve never really done anything with my random doodles.
“I tend to just put pen to paper and see what happens.
“Now though, I have an audience: my sons, Noah and Koda. So, if I make up a story for bedtime and they like it, I might sketch it up and see what they think.
“Noah, my 7-year-old is pretty much my Creative Director. He’ll tell me what colour a character should be or how many eyes they should have…
“Plus, every now and then, he’ll draw something up of his own….”
Are there any authors, illustrators, or books that have inspired your work?
“I’ve always loved Dr Suess – the stories, the illustrations, the pure randomness and the fun. For me, you can’t beat a good, old Dr Suess book.
Pictured: Mike is assisted by his “creative directors”, seven-year-old Noah and three-year-old Koda.
As for illustrators, I really like Dulk. His paintings and illustrations are absolutely amazing.”
What message or feeling do you hope children take away from the book?
“Well, first and foremost, I hope they just have fun reading it and enjoy all of the different crazy characters.
“As for the message: sometimes it takes time to make new friends, but that’s perfectly normal. Just have fun with it!”
How has living in Norway influenced your storytelling?
“Living here has however given me more time to focus on turning my stories into something more.
“That said, balancing a full-time language course, freelancing, family as well as publishing a book has been tough…but a lot of fun at the same time.
“Sometimes I feel like a headless chicken trying to jump hurdles, but most of the time it is fine and all worth it in the end.
“The best part of it all is that I’m getting a lot more time with my sons.”
What was it like navigating the publishing process as a first-time author?
“Honestly, I sort of feel like I took a shortcut with self-publishing on Amazon. I had no idea of where to start, how to find an agent or any of that.
“When you read about publishing online, it all sounds very expensive and complicated.
“So, for now, I’m happy with my shortcut…unless any lovely agents are reading this and want to help get my books in stores then…call me *cough, cough*…Sorry, worth a shot.”
Do you have plans for more children’s books in the future? Perhaps more adventures for Nebu?
“Yes, definitely more to come. I’ve actually just published another new children’s book called ‘Thiswaythatway’.
“It’s about a strange creature with two heads that constantly argues with itself over which way to go.
Pictured: Mike’s other children’s books are called ‘Thiswaythatway’ and ‘Naught Nisse’.
“The Thiswaythatway will lead you into confusion but you’ll come out the other side with a smile.
“Also, very soon, just in time for Christmas, I’m going to be publishing a book called ‘Naughty Nisse’.
“It’s about one of Santa’s little helpers getting up to no good during the build-up to Christmas.
“He’s cheeky, he’s terrible and he’s always misbehaving…but that’s so children don’t have to misbehave themselves.
“Leave it to the pros, leave it to Naughty Nisse.
“As for Nebu, he’ll definitely return at some point. Hopefully soon!”
What advice would you give to other aspiring authors, especially those balancing busy lives and creative projects?
“Anytime, even whilst lying on the floor of your kid’s room whilst they fall back to sleep is a good time to crack on.
“Take any moment you can to put time into your project.”
‘Nebu: The Lonely Alien’and ‘Thiswaythatway’ are available on Amazon.