Mike was raised and still lives in the Midwest. He has spent most of his working career in museums. Giving tours, creating exhibits and running fun events became part of his everyday life. Back in 2010 the idea for a novel that involved 18th century electricity and steam power first came to life. The storyline and characters became more focused over time until the summer of 2020. Pandemic lock down, not working and an old garage to sit in as a studio made writing out five drafts of Aether War possible. Many rounds of proofing followed. Then came beta readers from Goodreads and Aether War was finished.