Action Pulp!

February 8, 2026

By Adam Messer

Michael Parkes is an author who gnomes his way around horror, fantasy, and humor. Did I say gnomes? Why yes, yes I did. Read on and you’ll soon discover why!

Please introduce yourself.

My name is Michael Parkes, and I’m a multi-genre Canadian author. I tend to write short stories, especially more recently since I am currently juggling two separate anthologies. I’m also in the process of private-printing a book of poems, though I’ll probably never publish a book of poetry for public consumption. I’ve written two books, Cheryl as well as Gnomes and Knights so far, along with a number of short stories. I’m quite young, so more books are surely to come.

Outside of writing, I enjoy hiking, reading, painting, occasionally do some freelancing, and I’m a pretty good cook. I maintain an active blog where I’ve interviewed hundreds of authors, and I’m also both a board and a committee member of the St. Lawrence Writers’ Festival in Brockville, Ontario. 

I’m also a pretty big fan of gnomes. 

What genres do you write and why?

I write whatever seems interesting at the time, and that is influenced by what I’m feeling and how I perceive things at the time of writing. 

Cheryl was my first book, and a tragic-comedy with elements of thriller, suspense, and mystery were the genres Cheryl ended up being. It’s gritty and dark, but humourous and silly, and that was very much influenced by my circumstances at the time of writing it.

Gnomes and Knights was my second book, and it’s more of a happy, squeaky-clean, adorable kids’ book. It’s got rhyming short stories, a fairy tale, and it’s basically the complete opposite of Cheryl. Gnomes and Knights was written right after I first published Cheryl, and I’d always wanted to write a kids’ book.Unsurprisingly, being all hopped up on positive emotion from becoming an author literally a month ago made Gnomes and Knights a much happier, much cuter, and much lighter book compared to Cheryl.

As for more recently, I write horror, but specifically either cosmic horror or cosmic horror-adjacent, as well as stories that deal with the idea of eternity or godhood. I also like reality-warping stories because I find it very fun to write them. I also have a fantasy story about a gnomish archmage I’ve shelved for now to focus on the anthologies, so I still write about gnomes and fantasy and magic too.

I also tend to weave humour into my stories, though little-to-none in horror stories usually. The lighthearted ones understandably get a lot more humour sprinkled in. 

What is your earliest memory of reading?

I think my earliest memories are of Dr. Suess and Shel Silverstein, so maybe it’s not a surprise I like writing rhyming stories and poems. Specifically, I have fond memories of The Cat in the Hat, but apparently Green Eggs and Ham and Elmo Loves You were also books I loved as a toddler. 

When did you know you wanted to write? How did it happen?

I vaguely remember writing a book called “The Other White Meat” when I was about ten years old. I apparently also wrote a book when I was five, but it was mostly single sentences and dinosaur stickers. When I was fourteen or fifteen, I again started writing a few things then gave up, and then when I was around nineteen I started making a genuine effort to write consistently. 

Now, in hindsight it was obvious I’d end up being an author because I often wrote books and stories as a kid, along with really enjoying reading, but I never really saw it that way. I always wrote, but I didn’t actually make a concerted and intentional effort to get something published until I was much older. Still though, even as a child I wanted to eventually publish something. I guess I always wanted to write, and that vague childhood dream to “write a book” took form as I got older and was better able to conceive, format, and plan stories. 

What’s one of your favorite scenes in one of your books?

Probably the ending of Gnomes and Knights, specifically the Knights part. I had seen a tombstone with the name “Ethlich” on it, and was originally going to have the big bad at the end of Nathan the Knight’s journey be a lich. My editor informed me that was probably a little too heavy and out-of-place for the story, and they were right, so I changed it to a creature named Ethyloch instead. 

It’s one of my favourite scenes because Ethyloch is a very common, arguably cliché, fantasy monster, but the way Nathan handles the situation is not the expected way to deal with this particular creature. He uses his wits instead of his sword, and I like the way I captured the feelings and dialogue in that particular scene. I’d be more specific but I want to avoid spoilers.

What makes a good character? A bad one?

A good character makes an impression, whether it’s good or bad. I’ve read books where there were incredibly well-written but very unlikeable characters and they made an impression by being consistent. While I may not exactly know what they’d do next, whatever they did do, even if it was a surprise, revealed a facet of their personality indirectly. Maybe a character is especially principled and heroic, and their convictions make them memorable. Maybe a character is particularly heinous and their warped sense of reality is what makes them stand out. As long as there is a shred of sense in the motivations though, in whatever form that takes, they’ll usually appeal to the reader. It does help if the character’s personality is revealed through action though, particularly when their actions throw the occasional curveball. 

A bad character is a forgettable character. I’ve read books where the characters are largely forgettable or basically just exist to be in the background rather than to function as a way to move the story forward. Sometimes you do need background characters, but the main characters should not be among them. To me, if you can’t really remember what the character stands for or what motivates them and you have difficulty visualizing them then why are they there? Books that introduce dozens and dozens of characters that are never really fleshed out are guilty of this. 

What moves the story for you?

Action! One of the books I’ve reviewed on my blog kept me turning the page because there were unexpected, emotionally charged, and exciting events happening constantly. I read that book in a couple days because the frequent action kept me engaged. By comparison, a less fast-paced book might still interest me, but I’m going to read it much slower. 

What is your favorite book and why?

Probably The Help by Kathryn Stockett. I think I read it when I was around twelve and re-read it multiple times since. I’m not quite sure what made it stick out to me so much, but it’s one of my favourite books. Part of it is I really like Skeeter’s character, her motivations, and her writing a book in secret about the maids in Jackson, Mississippi. Aibileen and Minnie are certainly memorable, as is Celia. And Hilly is profoundly unlikeable but in a very believable way. I think the realism makes it an engaging story. It’s technically something that could have happened, and either way it’s a great book. 

What do you want to say to your audience?

Thank you for reading my books and short stories! Beyond sales, things like hearing that you’ll read Gnomes and Knights to your children as they grow up and how finding Cheryl at your local library got you out of reading slump are always profoundly meaningful. Sales are just numbers on a screen, but hearing of the individual effect or enjoyment or impact one of my books had is definitely far more profound.

Thank you for the occasional picture of your cat or dog posing with a copy of my books too. Especially cats in glasses.

Through people reading my books, I have gotten to attend events and meet people I wouldn’t have otherwise. I’ve read Gnomes and Knights at the local library, been invited to literary festivals, and more recently, was invited to be on the board and committee of the St. Lawrence Writers’ Festival. So thanks to every past, present, and future reader for all the things being an author has afforded me!

What advice do you have for new writers?

Let yourself have fun while writing. Short stories are a great starting point for beginners who struggle with writing longer works. And if you do write a longer piece, storyboarding is a great resource. 

Do you have anything else you would like to add?

To check out my books, follow me on social media, or to read my blog, check out my website.

I also interview authors on my blog and those go up every Monday/Friday. I’m always happy to interview more people; to inquire, just send an email through my website’s contact form. I don’t spotlight AI-generated content of any kind, though. As a creative, you just can’t be associated with it in any way. I’m also open to guest posts!

To learn more about the St. Lawrence Writers’ Festival, check out their Website: https://michaelparkesauthor.com/

https://www.stlawrencewritersfestival.ca/

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