Lisa A. Shiel researches and writes about everything strange, from Bigfoot and UFOs to alternative history. She has been interviewed for big-city newspapers, national magazines, drive-time talk radio shows, and TV news. Lisa has a master’s degree in library science and was previously the chief investigator for Michigan’s chapter of the Mutual UFO Network as well as past president of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula Publishers and Authors Association (UPPAA). As a fiction writer, Lisa developed the Human Origins Series—which includes the novels The Hunt for Bigfoot and Lord of the Dead. Lisa’s other nonfiction books are Backyard Bigfoot: The True Story of Stick Signs, UFOs & the Sasquatch (a finalist in ForeWord Magazine’s 2006 Book of the Year Awards) and Strange Michigan. Her latest book, The Evolution Conspiracy, Vol. 1, marks the initial release in a planned three-book series.
Thank you for this interview, Lisa. Can you tell us a little about yourself and how long you’ve been writing?
Lisa: I've been writing for as long as I can remember but I didn't formally become a writer until about 10 years ago. During that time I've also become a librarian and a paranormal researcher, both of which have affected my writing—in a good way! My interest in the paranormal makes me open-minded, and the librarian in me loves doing research which came in handy when I was working on The Evolution Conspiracy.
Do you write full-time?
Lisa: I write as much as I can but I also love to help others. As a partner in Five Rainbows Services for Authors and Publishers I help other authors and publishers with typesetting, book design, e-book conversions, indexing, cataloging, you name it.
You’ve met an old friend from high school and you want to pitch your book to him/her in five minutes or less. What would you say?
Lisa: What, you haven't bought my book yet? Okay, I wouldn't say that... probably. I'd tell them The Evolution Conspiracy gives you the tools you need to make up your own mind about how life came to be—tools including a list of 171 references, a glossary, and numerous illustrations. In the The Evolution Conspiracy I present the evidence and my analysis of it, then I encourage you to think for yourself.
Who is your intended audience? Have you been able to crossover into other audiences as well?
Lisa: My audience is diverse because The Evolution Conspiracy offers something for everyone, from devout creationists to those who simply wonder about the accuracy of evolutionary theories. So I have already crossed boundaries, earning positive comments from creationists as well as scientists and mainstream book reviewers.
Why did you choose your particular genre?
Lisa: When I looked at the pool of books critiquing evolution, they all looked at the topic from the perspective of creationism or intelligent design. I couldn't find a book that critiqued the evidence from a secular perspective. In The Evolution Conspiracy I analyze the evidence for evolution, its strengths and its flaws, without involving my personal beliefs.
Do you ever experience self-doubts with your work?
Lisa: Self-doubt is a natural part of the human experience. Even Charles Darwin, the god of evolution, suffered doubts about himself and his work.
Where do you write? Do you have a favorite place?
Lisa: I write here on Earth. It's my favorite place, although I haven't actually tried writing anywhere else.
What kind of research did you have to do during the writing process?
Lisa: While working on The Evolution Conspiracy, I scoured scientific journals, popular magazines, and websites for the latest information on evolutionary biology. I dug deep to find the squabbles among scientists, the contradictions in the evidence, and the chinks in evolution's facade. These are the things diehard evolutionists hope the general public never sees.
Who is your publisher and how did you get accepted by them? Did you pitch your book yourself or go through an agent?
Lisa: I had an agent for awhile but I found the mainstream publishing process too long and uncertain. Most of my books have been published by a family-owned company, Slipdown Mountain Publications, in which I am a partner. Independent publishers are more open to new authors and ideas. One of my books (Strange Michigan) was published by a different company but my new book, The Evolution Conspiracy, comes from Slipdown Mountain. We wanted to get the book out during 2009 because it's both the 200th anniversary of Charles Darwin's birth and 150th anniversary of his book The Origin of Species. I find that a smaller company can get a book to print faster.
How are you promoting your book thus far?
Lisa: I have a blog at EvolutionConspiracy.com, a Twitter feed, and a Facebook page. On my blog people can download free sample chapters from the book and read brand-new articles.
If you could give one book promotion tip to new authors, what would that be?
Lisa: Never be afraid to ask—whether you're asking for an interview, a pre-pub blurb, or a speaking engagement. The worst that can happen is the person says no. But I found that more often than not they say yes. That's how I got a microbiology professor to write the foreword for The Evolution Conspiracy. I just asked!
What’s next for you?
Lisa: Right now I'm working on my third novel, Ancient Ones, part of my Human Origins Series. I've already published two books in the series, The Hunt for Bigfoot and Lord of the Dead. After the novel I plan to start work on volume 2 of The Evolution Conspiracy, which I have already begun researching.
Thank you for this interview, Lisa. Can you tell us where we can find you on the web?
A: You can find me at EvolutionConspiracy.com, Twitter.com/LAShiel, or on Facebook. And you can buy The Evolution Conspiracy at SlipdownMountain.com and Amazon.com.
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