As featured in the Spokesman Review

https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2021/jul/26/how-local-author-michael-koep-feels-about-his-newi/

After nearly three decades with the storylines and characters at the heart of his “Newirth Mythology,” local author Michael Koep is one major step closer to sharing the series with fans in a new mediu….

https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2021/jul/20/10-books-for-your-summer-reading-list/

If you, like me, are looking for a few books so that you can ignore the growing stack of other books next to your bed, here is a list of 10 books – including several by local authors – that I’ll be re …

A man steps up to the microphone dressed like a maitre d’, black shirt and slacks, though he does not work here. He taps the mic with his finger—“Test. Test.”— then clears his throat. It is his privilege to introduce local author Michael B. Koep for an evening read.

“There is nothing typical about our guest this evening,” he begins, and he’s absolutely right. The man continues to describe the many facets of Koep’s artistic and free-spirited lifestyle (poet, painter, musician, vocalist, swordsman, engineer, traveler, designer, husband, father, friend), including many of Koep’s defining qualities. And “in an attempt to be all-encompassing, and to satisfy our base need for a sense of understanding,” the man dubs Mr. Koep, ‘Artist.’

Koep reads from his latest work, Part Two of The Newirth Mythology: Leaves of Fire (released June, 2015). Part One of the Newirth Mythology; The Invasion of Heaven (2013), is to be re released as a mass-market paperback in August of 2016. The complete trilogy is slated for 2017. At the end of his read, Koep leaves the audience with a riveting not-quite conclusion, explaining, “If I read one more line, it may ruin the book for you.” This is perfect for opening the floor for questions.

There are the usual questions a writer is undoubtedly asked at such events; Are you currently working on anything? Where do you get your ideas/inspiration? Typewriter or computer? But there’s one question that really makes Koep smile

“Where do you write?…”

“In a hole in the ground there lived a Hobbit,” and although Koep is no Bilbo Baggins—a writer himself—and his writing place is in not in the ground, it is, however, a Hobbit hole. “And that,” says Mr. Tolkien, “means comfort.”

Stepping through the ornate round door of Koep’s office, it’s easy to see why he works here. It’s not that the lighting and temperature are perfect. It’s not the collection of swords and fighting gear, the antique piano, nor the shelves of books from Tolkien, Chaucer, Shakespeare, and many others that encircle the room. It’s not the unique collage of draping burlap and other cloth that lines the ceiling and walls, or even the sound of Zeppelin on vinyl resonating from the improvised library loft. What keeps Koep writing here is the fact that all of these things come together in a culmination of creativity that seems to seep out and into the air.

This is the feeling of imagination, of creativity. And it’s so thick, so real, you breathe it. One would feign swipe a handful into a pocket to carry away home, hoping, perhaps not in vain, to harness its power and create a beautiful work of their own.

This is Koep’s ‘safe place’. Though to say so is to contradict oneself, as there truly is no ‘safe place’ for a writer. To be a writer is to work alone and without the comfort of a safety net. Says Michael, “It’s like jumping off a cliff, and the thing you have to decide is do you want to exist in the air, or in a cubical? It’s frightening.” Clearly, Koep has chosen to exist in the air, frightening or no.

However, it would seem Koep is quite accustomed to this type of freefalling existence. He spent many years—and, in fact, is still spending them—as a rock musician for a number of bands, before he ever decided he’d take the journey as a writer. Indeed, like Mr Baggins, one can never be quite sure to what eyrie Koep’s feet will take him next.

The original introduction:

“There is nothing typical about our guest this evening. One cannot simply place a label on him, stick him in his categorical corner, or slide him onto a shelf amongst like fellows. To simply name him Author is not enough. He is much more. He is poet, painter, musician, vocalist. He is swordsman, engineer, traveler, designer, husband, father, and friend. To name him “Artist” in an attempt to be all encompassing, is merely a beginning, like scratching an ‘X’ in the dirt with one’s foot before setting the auger to drill a very deep well. And yet, perhaps to satisfy our base need for a sense of understanding, “Artist” is the correct title to place upon him—if, by Artist, the title also implies passion and character, honor, kindness, and humility. You see, our guest is all of these things, at least, though he’d never say so.

He is native to Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. Although he has traveled much in the world, Coeur d’Alene has often been his home. He received his education through life and living, which includes a degree from Gonzaga University. He published, Part one of the Newirth Mythology; The Invasion of Heaven, in 2013, and is currently working—from the comfort of his Hobbit Hole—on Part Two, slotted to hit the printers Fall of this year.

Ladies and Gentlemen, it is with great pleasure we present to you this evening, the Artist, Mr. Michael B. Koep.”

By Toby Reynolds

Born and raised in Coeur d’Alene, author Michael Koep has been at various times a poet, painter, fencing competitor, cliff-jumper and member of a rock band.

Each of these hobbies, among others, has contributed to the wild, psychological adventure that is Koep’s fantasy series, “The Newirth Mythology.” Koep started with poetry and short fiction and then added journaling.

“That, I think, is my primary voice,” he said, explaining how this daily habit has contributed to the comfort he feels with first-person storytelling.

Koep would eventually earn a degree in literature at Gonzaga University, but his writing education really began in 1977 when he saw “a little-known film called ‘Star Wars.’ ”

For the full feature click the link below:

https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2020/sep/26/locally-writ-michael-koep-explores-behavioral-impa/

(visit Read Between the Lines, click here)

QUESTION:
What research went into writing the Newirth Mythology Trilogy?

THANKFULLY, Mark Twain issued the foundational dictum giving we fiction scribblers at least one starting scenario when faced with a blank page: “Write what you know.” At least we’ve got that. Of course, the imagination has a lot to say about what goes on the page also, and its content is rooted in mainly lies—all of that wonderful made-up stuff. And there’s the magic trick—one  must incant a tale with some plausible believability (and reveal some human truth), while lying one’s ass off. Simple, right? Thus, we research.

As the The Newirth Mythology plot began to unfold and the pages piled up, I started a list of the story’s subject matter: mythology, poetry, the lifestyle of a portrait painter and his craft, the day-to-day of a clinical psychologist, medieval Europe, overseas travel, the 70’s rock scene, good scotch, fatherhood, writing, and of course, sword fighting. I wasn’t too terribly surprised to see that the list closely resembled a menu of my personal obsessions and pursuits. So, sure, I am a rock musician and I’ve toured all over the world, I’m a lyricist, I’ve published some poetry, I’m a painter, I know a little about psychology, I’m a dad, and a writer that loves the occasional dram, and yes, I co-founded a sword fighting consortium. Write what you know, indeed. A few chapters into Part One, The Invasion of Heaven, however, I discovered that I wasn’t writing what I know, but rather, I was writing what I wanted to learn more about, which makes research my favorite part of the scribbling process.

Of course there are volumes written on research method—qualitative craft and strategic procedure—and I’m certain that my humble approach is nothing new. But the best pieces of advice I received on research were collected at different times in my life. My dad said Ask, my uncle said Read and my dearest friends say Do.

1. ASK.  My dad always says, “If you don’t know, ask someone and talk about it.”

When I didn’t know how to work out a particular problem in school, Dad encouraged me to ask my teacher. A teacher himself, Dad had a lot of experience assisting with the how to questions. The advice stuck with me. Working through Part One, The Invasion of Heaven, I engaged in daily conversations on mythology, medieval history, science and psychology with college professors, professionals, artists and friends. For what conversations are better over breakfast or a glass of scotch than those examining the relationship between art and psychology, or the possible existence of an afterlife, or the strides toward immortality through genetics? Talking it over and keeping good notes has provided me a working vocabulary, a wider point of view and some relatively provocative story ideas. What’s more, I’ve had the opportunity to spend time with amazingly talented and smart people. The best part, I think, is that this research hasn’t yielded as many answers as it has questions. Thankfully, there will always be more to ask about.

2. READ.
My uncle Stan encouraged a healthy diet of books. Another habit built in childhood. Through the influence of my college professors I was exposed to the books that would become the stepping stones for my own work. Classical mythology, medieval literature, and poetry both old and new, seduced and transported me. Because the Newirth Mythology’s plot parallels historical events, I also delved into the history books.

The wonder of the internet, too, was extremely helpful in learning specifics I could not find in texts, as well as allowing me to keep up with the latest scientific advances. Sections in Leaves of Fire are dedicated to genetic engineering and DNA research.

Most importantly, I let the style and expertise of my favorite authors wash over me. Like listening and watching my favorite musicians, reading the books of the authors I admire always teaches craft, voice and structure. Their story telling magic is just outside the scope of research. The old suspension of disbelief bit. Magic a little difficult to catch if you’re trying, and seemingly simple if you forget you’re holding a book. That telling the truth while lying thing they do so well.

3. DO.  If you don’t know, go do. Friends are the best instigators. (However, do the stuff that won’t get you into trouble–or at least, not too much trouble.)

The five senses—the best research.

When my dear friend Monte brought two swept hilt rapiers to my house one winter afternoon, long ago, he made this introduction, “I’ve never fenced with these before—I thought it would be fun if we gave it try together.” So my study of fencing began. Since I was a kid with a branch for a sword and trashcan lid shield, I’ve loved the idea of swords and sword fighting. I had not entertained pursuing it in adulthood until Monte’s gift.

It’s one thing to discuss the idea of being caught up in a sword fight—yet another to read about characters in a famous duel. But to actually feel the sword hilt in your hand, the weight of the heavy armor, the ache of your legs and the burning in your lungs as you struggle to keep your opponent’s blade from stabbing into your body—well, there’s nothing quite like it. The real research. Sure, everyone loves a good sword fight, but until the point of a blade is thrusting toward your eye, all of that talk and all those books are mere shadows. Several times while writing a particular sword fight I would choreograph the exchange with another fencer. Not only fun, but it’s incredibly informative, and it reveals a view into true-to-life duelist movements.

The Newirth Mythology challenged me to do a lot of things well out of my comfort zone. To understand more about the story’s portrait artist, Basil Fenn, I’ve took up oil painting after years as a watercolor artist. I’ve traveled to countries surrounding the Mediterranean Sea as the ghosts in the stones and ancient temples appeared in the narrative. Main character Loche Newirth, at the beginning of the tale, falls fifty feet into ice cold waters. I made myself try that, too. Okay, so maybe it wasn’t quite fifty feet (and it was summer), but still, it was a little scary. The notes I scribbled about the experience made it into the book. The icy waters and the terrible height was where the lying came in.

Then there’s the return to my personal day-to-day. My experiences as a rock musician informed the 1972 backstage, rock concert scenes in Part Two, Leaves of Fire. Watching my son grow from a toddler to a little boy defined the characters of young William of Leaves and Edwin Newirth. Relationships, stories from friends, things people say, and more—I try to catch as much of it as possible.

I like to think that Mark Twain’s write what you know really means share the things you learn.
It’s an invitation to we scribblers to go out and know something. Ask questions, read about it—to get in there and experience it for yourself.  And then, we get to do what we love to do, write it down. Ultimately, the research going into The Newirth Mythology serves a higher goal. A goal not surrounded by facts or figures, but rather, the infused magic of fiction. The thing our favorite authors conjure for us—how they transport us—deliver us. Through all of the conversations, books and experiences we use as a foundation, we scribblers are really working toward knowing how to write magic into our tales, and become better liars.

MBK, July, 2015

“Michael B. Koep’s debut novel, The Invasion of Heaven, earned praise from critics and readers alike. Now he’s back with a second book in the series, and the excitement continues to build. [Leaves of Fire] will suck you in. Highly addictive. You will love this book!”

–Rodger Nichols

Click here for the interview

An Author Whose Art Comes To Life

–Brian Feinblum

Imagine paintings that hold the secrets to the meaning of life, and death—or scribbled words that can alter past and reshape the present. We know art imitates life but in Michael B. Koep’s thriller fiction trilogy, the author brings the arts to life in an action-packed tale spanning seven centuries.

A new book, The Newirth Mythology: Leaves of Fire (June, 2015), tells of how a journal has inadvertently created real lives off the page, changed history, and made myths and their characters real. There is a battle for life on Earth – and the Afterlife – and the fate of existence itself hangs in the balance. The war of the immortals has begun. Koep’s latest installment entwines seemingly unconnected lives from different time periods and deeply explores myth, memory, revenge, and the hope of forgiveness.

Koep’s creative writing offers insight into these questions:

-Is art influencing life and shaping it?
-Can we create a new mythology?
-Are there immortals among us?
-Will we discover a way to genetically alter ourselves so that we can become immortal?
-How do we come to terms with the darker elements of the human condition?
-Why are we fascinated with the notion that supernatural power and other worlds that could exist?
-Could one’s imagination create real people – and if so – what would we do once confronted with such a reality? Could we accept the world we have authored?
-How would our lives be lived if we were convinced an afterlife existed?
-Are we living in a volatile time, where the fate of mankind hangs in the balance?
-What is real – what is not – and how do we know the difference?

Koep’s writings offer probing philosophical insight into humanity’s purpose and limitations. He provokes us with non-stop action, witty dialogue, and a challenging premise.

“I have always had a love for myths and how myths frame a culture’s narrative,” says Koep, “and ultimately, I wanted to try my hand at my own mythology.”

Amid swordfights, shootouts, betrayal, secret guardians prone to poetic monologues and murders – in a milieu of fine art, fine food, secret lovers, myth, mafia, ancient languages, and the loud music of classic vinyl LPs, Koep’s trilogy will leave the reader questioning what it means to be human and what lies beyond this world.

Here is a Q & A with the author whose book is now being promoted by the PR firm I am employed by:

BF: Michael, what inspired you to launch your thought-provoking, supernatural thriller series?

MK: A number of things inspired the writing of Part One of the Newirth Mythology, The Invasion of Heaven, for the story has been haunting my notebooks for a little over fifteen years. Looking at the book now I’m thrilled to see that I managed to fit nearly all of my obsessions into the story: music, painting, poetic monologues, sword fighting, bits of psychology, poetry, mafia, international travel and mystery. I even got to explore the big why are we here questions. I dedicated Part One to my mother. She has suffered from depression for most of her adult life, and growing up watching her battle the illness was a confusing and helpless experience. Reading helped me through those years. Psychology became a poignant interest, as did escape vehicles like fantasy and science fiction– and because I didn’t have the kind of mind to become a psychologist myself I felt that the best way in which I could help my mother was to entertain her with stories and music. The character of Loche Newirth appeared in my journals very soon thereafter– and as a mental health professional, Loche could explore not only the difficulties of being human, but he just might discover a cure to the darker parts of our nature. Maybe even depression. Of course, he hasn’t yet become the kind of hero that I had imagined, but he’s trying.

As a touring rock musician, my travels influenced large parts of the story, too. The Middle East, the Mediterranean, Italy, Sicily, Greece, Crete, Egypt and many other places– all steeped in myth and mystery– so how could I not resist their beckoning to be included in the tale?

BF: Your story involves mythology. Could there be truth to our mythologies? Is there a need to create a new mythology?

MK: Certainly mythologies contain truth- human truth. Consider the term mythos: the pattern of basic values and historical experiences of a people characteristically transmitted through the arts. Or, made up stories to make sense and express the inexpressible. Myths tell two stories at once. On the surface they are usually straightforward, plot based narratives with symbolic characters facing fantastic circumstances–very often supernatural at their core. Simultaneously, these stories can provide insight and footholds of understanding about the mysteries of existence and the human condition. Mythology can change not only the behavior of the individual, but so, too, an entire culture. It is this transforming characteristic of storytelling that is of great interest for me– and it is the central theme of The Invasion of Heaven and Leaves of Fire. I am fascinated with the deeply held beliefs that people have for stories–and how those stories dictate both love and fear. As long as there are questions about our existence, there will always be stories reaching for answers. The historical cannon of myth over thousands of years has changed along side our ability to reason and adapt. Though we still worship the sun (at the beach, mostly these days), our little star no longer holds the divine nature it once did for the ancients. The Sumerian gods fell to the Greek gods– and they to the recent cast of divine characters that hold their place on the current metaphysical and religious stages. When a new evolutionary burst of thought happens for humankind, it is to be expected that another system of belief flourish. Let’s hope that what ever system happens along is based a little more in reality than some of the ancient supernatural tales some still believe today.

In The Newirth Mythology I wanted gather all mythological narratives, the stories themselves, the events and characters and their metaphorical values, and pronounce, simply: they are all true– they all happened– it is all very real. What main character Loche Newirth discovers, however, is that there is always more to the story.

BF: You explore the question of reality: what is real and what is not?

MK: For the pragmatic and conservative psychologist, Loche Newirth, knowing the difference between what is real and what is not is vital to not only his vocation, but his identity. He wonders throughout the journal he writes in The Invasion of Heaven, “This is really happening, isn’t it?” In one way he uses the question to balance himself as he teeters on the edge of sanity (for after all, he claims that he’s seeing things that no rational person would believe), but also, he asks as if there is an answer–hoping that other characters in his journal are experiencing the same things. More importantly however, he asks the question to his readers so that they might be prepared to accept that his writing is factual and true. The distinction between what is real and what is imagined is another root theme for the book.

How would we know the difference? Loche might use Socrates’ Cave Allegory to start toward answering the question, or a number of other philosophical launching pads, but ultimately storytelling is at the root of Loche’s quandary. Loche counts on his story to be believed in order to achieve his goal. At the end of The Invasion of Heaven we learn that his words turn out to be more than a mere suspension of disbelief.

BF: The balance of good and evil is weighed throughout your story. Can we know one without the other?

MK: With volumes written on the problem of evil, I’m not sure that I can add much other than providing another story to hopefully keep the discussion going. Unlike classical myth, The Newirth Mythology leans away from the black and white nature of morality. I am more interested in the many sides and emotional levels of characters, their pasts, their fears, their hopes and what motivates their actions. The character of Helen Newirth, for example, has been called evil by some of my readers in emails and letters. In fact, I’ve been asked more than once by readers at book events, “Why is Helen such a bitch?” I have to agree because the story paints her rather unfavorably, but I often add laughing, “You don’t know Helen like I know Helen.” In other words, there is more to the story. Her past is dark. Her upbringing was a horror– and how she survived is touched upon in Part Two, Leaves of Fire. In other words, Helen operates out of what she knows and out of the environment she has been dealt. Does that make her evil? I’m not sure. I tend to agree with Plato’s idea: “Ignorance, the root and stem of all evil.” It is my hope that Helen will find redemption by the end–and hopefully not continue her spree of bad choices.

BF: In your series, art comes to life. Pictures influence behavior and a journal’s words create real people out of the writer’s imagination. What role should art play in our lives?

MK: Art is transcendence. It is a time machine. It is the shiny thing. It is the mirror.  I had intended to use art as a sort of character in the trilogy, though, it didn’t quite work out that way. Instead, art became the environment and setting. It surrounded the story. Like most artists and writers, I walk beside my characters, I live with them, I see what they see and I (safely) experience their joys and horrors. I’m often thankful that I am able to leave them on the page and escape. I remember thinking when I was creating the writer/psychologist Loche Newirth: wouldn’t it be nightmarish if he couldn’t escape his creation–his art? If what he made came into being? From that point dominos tumbled, and a huge pile of notes with “what if?” (my favorite question of all) scribbled at the topn of each began cluttering my desk. What if Loche changes history? What if God couldn’t escape his own creation? What if all myths and gods exist in reality? What if art is the vehicle between this life and the next? Art’s role in The Newirth Mythology is just that–a vehicle to the unknown–to what if. But hasn’t art always been just that? Art transports us beyond ourselves and guides us out of ignorance to empathy and knowledge. To me, art is the singular proof of a soul.

BF: You are a bit of a renaissance man- educator, world traveler, poet, artist and rock musician- as well as a novelist. Do you hope your books further the arts and inspire others to create new worlds- and nourish ours?

MK: Art should knit us all together. It should inspire, elevate and excite. So yes, it is a humbling delight knowing that readers are identifying with my work. Learning that what you’ve created resonates with others and inspires is the primary aim–and better still, the connection invigorates the entire process–from wanting to continually pursue improving one’s craft, to new approaches, reaching further, and dreaming wider and longer. I like to think of art as a good conversation that you don’t want to end–so you order more drinks.