It’s not as if former Bridgeport resident and Bridgeport High School alum T. Michael "Mike" Martin had to sit on pins and needles when he turned in the final manuscript for his second novel; wondering if it were going to be published. After all, Martin’s already a published author and had a two-book deal in place so he had that concern already covered.

 

For Martin, turning in that final manuscript nearly two months ago is another big step in his journalism career. And it should be noted that he didn’t turn over his manuscript to a company that publishes books for a price.

 

Martin, as many may already know, has a pretty well-known publisher in the form of Harper Collins. Recently, he worked on turning over what he believes will be the final words to his second novel – Mister Fahrenheit – to his editor Donna Bray.

 

“She worked with me on my first novel,” said Martin.  “At this point, this book is pretty much locked it. I have an editor in Donna Bray who has made me a much better writer. She’s so good at mixing encouragement and honesty in her critiques, which is exactly what I need.”

 

While Martin knew the second book deal was part of the initial agreement, he’s still excited. Harper Collins not only has the manuscript, but talk is already starting.

 

“They’re talking about the book publicly for first time,” said Martin. “That’s a pretty exciting thing.”

 

There was also a mention of it recently on Goodreads, which is owned by Amazon and is the largest social network dedicated entirely to books. Martin said the site provides potential for readers to discover his book and works of others.

 

“As far as I know every traditionally-published book winds up on there, so getting listed isn't a huge deal in itself,” said Martin. “It just meant a lot to me because it means Mr. Fahrenheit's publication is coming that much sooner.”

 

Martin has experienced many of these emotions before. His first novel was “The End Games.” That book is set in a post-Apocalyptic West Virginia where the world has ended on Halloween. Two brothers – 17-year-old Michael and 5-year-old Patrick – battle zombies and monsters in “the game” for weeks in the rural mountains of his West Virginia. The book takes the two brothers on a journey following the “Game Master” and searching for survivors in a world filled with horrors.

 

The book did well. In fact, it sold tens of thousands of copies and Martin also received praise for his work from New York Times bestselling author John Green. The book was part of the teen horror fiction genre, but Martin said it saw readership across demographics.

 

“It’s still selling,” said Martin. “It’s still available in bookstores.”

 

Soon, too, will Mr. Fahrenheit, which is set to be published in April 2016. Martin said the new book, although in the same genre, has a much easier ending than The End games. He said if he had to describe the book it would be like “Steven Spielberg doing Breaking Bad.”

 

The second novel centers on high school seniors in Indians that one night accidentally shoot down a flying saucer and decide to keep the situation a secret for one night. Martin said that decision leads to one bad decision after another and lays the foundation for his latest work.

 

“As a child, my favorite movie was ET. I wanted to write something that made me feel like I did when I watched that movie,” said Martin, who worked on this for roughly two and a half year and completed four or five drafts. “I don’t know how it will turn out, but my most notable critic, my mother, said it’s better than The End Games.”

 

While the book will again be marketed to teenagers, Martin is also hoping it will find plenty of adult readers. And he’s hoping that with John Green’s past endorsement that it will bridge the gap even easier this time around.

 

Martin is hoping that Green, whose novel “The Fault in our Stars” was made into a hit movie, will eventually get a chance to read the new book and offer a critique. Green, Martin said, is currently traveling the world promoting a new movie based off another one of his works.

 

“Once he settles down, I’d really like to get him a copy,” said Martin.

 

There is one bit of irony involved in the book. Martin’s grandfather, Tom Martin, owned Martin Printing in Clarksburg. One of Tom Martin’s friends and a person he did work for was Clarksburg’s Gray Barker. For those that don’t know, the late Barker is considered among the early pioneers of UFO studies and is the author to the “Men in Black” theory among others.

 

“He actually printed the ‘Saucerian News Bulletin’ for Gray Barker,” said Martin. “My grandfather also wrote a book on the history of Clarksburg and when I kept running into Gray Barker’s name as I was reading a lot of books on UFOs I asked my grandfather about him and that’s how I knew they knew one another. What’s interesting is Mr. Fahrenheit deals with the relationship between a teenage boy and his grandfather. It helped make writing this book a lot more fun.”

 

Martin still lives in Indianapolis with his wife Sarah. Check back with Connect-Bridgeport on details of when the book will be released locally.

 

Editor's Note: The author and BHS alum, T. Michael "Mike" Martin is shown above and below, while the proof of what the cover for his new book will look like is shown in the middle.