W
ith more than 20 works of
nonfiction for the likes of
Random House, Rodale,
and Simon & Schuster
under his belt, Michael Bowker is publish-
ing his debut novel, Gods of Our Time, in
February. Publishers Weekly, which previ-
ously called his work “riveting” and “com-
pelling,” sat down to talk with Bowker about
the new book—a novel he says embraces
human vulnerability and need—as well
as his work as a journalist investigating
the Golden State Killer and his new
publishing company, Sixty Degrees.
Can you tell us about the novel?
It is a book about love and relationships.
Although it is set in a special city in an
exotic time—Paris in the 1920s—I think
the issues facing the main characters,
Sophie and Jake, are similar to the ones
we face today. Like most of us, they have
to come to grips with their pasts before
they have a chance at a future together.
How did you come up with the title?
I know Gods of Our Time is somewhat
obscure, but I’ve had it in mind since the
beginning. It is an ironic title. Jake is
sent to Paris to interview the great art-
ists gathered there in 1925—Hemingway,
Picasso, Fitzgerald, Faulkner, and others.
Jake believes they are the “gods of his
time” and will show him how to be per-
fect—an impression his father has left
him. They turn out to be anything but
gods, but perhaps the biggest things to
fall from the sky for Jake were the ideals
and values he felt his father held. When
those plummet into the ground, Jake is left
trying to figure out who he is.
Was it difficult to create a strong
female character?
It was one of my biggest challenges, even
though Sophie kind of emerged by herself.
She is an artist and healer with a nurtur-
ing nature, but she is also troubled and
tougher than most men when she needs
to be. One of the greatest compliments
I’ve received as a writer came from a for-
mer Simon & Schuster editor who said
that I “created a female character most
women can closely identify with.”Your career, up to this point, has been
in journalism and nonfiction.
Yes, I was one of the first journalists who
covered the Golden State Killer. Law
enforcement, including the FBI, hunted
him for 44 years before finally arresting a
suspect in April 2018. All the major net-
works and several cable channels have
done documentaries on him since then,and most of them asked me for interviews.Is there a criminal element in Gods of
Our Time?
Yes, it takes place in underground Paris
and plays a major role in the outcome of
the book. Sophie and Jake are both
caught up in it.Tell us about Sixty Degrees
Publishing.
It’s a relatively new publishing firm that
specializes in serving writers. I own part
of it because I completely support its
mission—to help writers during a difficult
time for authors. The company does a lot
of publicity and promotion for its clients.
Sixty degrees is the ambient air tempera-
ture required before butterflies can fly. I
think that is symbolic of what the com-
pany does for its writers—it provides an
environment that allows them to spread
their wings.Spotlight on
Michael Bowker
PARIS IS YEARNING:
In veteran journalist Bowker’s debut novel, two people
seek to find each other—and themselves—in 1920s ParisI think the issues
facing the main
characters, Sophie
and Jake, are similar
to the ones we face
today. Like most of
us, they have to
come to grips with
their pasts before
they have a chance
at a future together.
— Michael BowkerSponsored by Sixty Degrees Publishing