An Interview with Mitchell Lecoultre
Hello there! My name is Mitchell Lecoultre, but you can call me Mitch. I am, most proudly, a dad to three wonderful daughters, aged ten, eight, and eight. Yes, that means I have twins! My daughters, my wife, and I reside in Oklahoma where I work as a clinical laboratory scientist, helping physicians treat those who are burdened with diseases such as leukemia. I was born and raised in a small town in northern Idaho where I was brought up by a loving family. I learned to love nature and respect the simpler joys of life and thus am more at home with campfire wisdom than cocktail etiquette. When I turned eighteen, I was unsure of what to do in life and, although I was enrolled in college, I joined the US Army instead. I served with honor as a cannon crewmember from 2006 to 2010. I will, however, admit that my time deployed overseas, in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom (2007 to 2008), transformed me, vanquishing the older, simpler me. After I finished my term of service, I got married to my beautiful wife, Vanessa, and we went to college at the University of Idaho, where I received a B.S. in molecular biology/biotechnology. I have employed that degree to moderate financial success and am using it now for my current job. I enjoy hiking, walks with my loved ones, miniature painting, video games, reading, well-made television and YouTube content, and audiobooks.
What inspired you to start writing this book?
My daughters! I have always liked imagining stories within my daydreams, even going so far as to write a few chapters of the more promising ones, but I never quite finished. That is until now. With the greatest inspirations of my life showing me pieces of their character every day, I couldn’t resist the urge to write anymore. And when I finally broke past the belief that writing a book was too momentous a task to complete, I felt liberated…I felt like I had found a piece of myself.
In that discovery of self, I found I was able to overcome another, more pressing demon that I had never been able to shake: alcoholism. As my first book, Shards of Ember, took shape, I took on the journey of sobriety. In so doing, I was able to not only become a better storyteller but also become a better father, husband, and person. All of which let me see it into facets of life that were closed off to me in my drunken haze. The raw tapestry of emotion that comes with sobriety – with all its ups and downs – reforged my sense of self and breathed new life into what was becoming a rather dull and tragic affair. So, yeah, my daughters inspired me to write but, in some ways, they also inspired me to just live.
Tell us the story of your book’s current title. Was it easy to find, or did it take forever?
Oooh! This is an easy one. So, I am onto the third book (Bloodstone Bound) in my epic fantasy adventure series, Gods Adrift. Within this world I have crafted, there are fragments of shattered gods. Think chunks of Poseidon or Zeus scattered about the world like gemstones, and for some of the denizens of Telaea they can ‘speak’ or ‘commune’ with these fragments of the now shattered gods. This latest installment of the series focuses on vengeance as a central theme, and one of the gods of this world named Magdris, a combination of Mars and Ares with some strong consonants added in, draws its power from blood and war. As you can imagine, a person who allows vengeance to consume them may find themselves to be Bloodstone Bound. I’ll let your imagination decide how I will put that into action.
What books are you reading (for research or comfort) as you continue the writing process?
I am reading two books right now. Well, technically three, but one of those is an audiobook. So, to keep you from thinking, “This man is insane…THREE BOOKS?!” let me elaborate. The first book – and please don’t judge too harshly – is the second book in my fantasy series, The Godstone Decree. Although I am intimately entwined with these stories, I want to make sure that the little nuances I wove into the world and characters are faithfully transcribed into my next book.
The second novel is Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir. The Martian, his first book, was the first novel that I read cover to cover in one sitting. I literally devoured that book, and with a movie rendition of Project Hail Mary coming out I thought, what better time than now?
The audiobook is A Game of Thrones, in G.R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series. I think we all know about this one by now. Did it take me far too long to try this series out? Yes. Am I loving it even though I watched the TV show first? You betcha!
What other professions have you worked in? What’s something about you that your readers wouldn’t know?
Oh boy! I have worked in a few places by now. I am turning a ripe ol’ thirty-eight in two months’ time, and within that time I have accumulated a decent career history. To not drown you in every nuance of my career I will do my best to summarize them.
My first major career was with the U.S. Army. I served as a cannon crewmember (13B) with two different battalions. The first was the 1/320th Field Artillery Regiment in the 101st Airborne Division where I deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom back in 2007 to 2008. The second was 2/2nd Field Artillery Regiment in Ft. Sill Oklahoma where I supported training operations. During my time in Ft. Sill was also when I met my wife!
The next big job I had was right out of college. I snagged a position at an agricultural research institute where I was tasked with testing Virus-Induced Gene Silenced (VIGS) foxtail millet plants to see if we could discover which genes were associated with increased – or more – efficient sugar production. More sugar means more ethanol. More ethanol means more biofuel.
My final major career is my current one. I work at OU Health as a clinical laboratory scientist. We test multiple genetic and molecular markers for mutations associated with a myriad of conditions but primarily focused on leukemias.
Who/what made you want to write? Was there a particular person, or particular writers/works/art forms that influenced you?
I sort of answered this question in the ‘what inspired me,’ section, but I wanted to elaborate. When I set out on my writing journey, I thought to myself, Mitch, how can you include these little gremlins that you love so much into your stories?
Well, why not just make the stories about them? I mean, after all, many of the stories I read, watched, and heard as a boy shaped me into the man I am today. And one thing about those stories is that they had a LOT of characters that I could resonate with. So many heroes and villains of masculine daring and bravado. Why can’t my daughters have that? Now they can! And the best part is it’s straight from the primary male figure in their life: their dad.
Where is your favorite place to write?
It’s not a where it’s a when. In fact, I am in that ‘when’ right now. The wee hours of the morning from 0330 to 0530 are an underrated time of day. Yes, I know that means I have to go to bed at 2000, but don’t judge me too harshly, it was one of the strategies I implemented to overcome alcoholism. Anyways, there is no better time to find the meditative calm that I need to explore the story hidden within me.
What advice would you give your past self at the start of your writing journey?
To keep myself grounded in the story. To not worry so much about how authors write. Art is subjective; writing is subjective, and my voice is just as unique and powerful as the others out there.
What’s one thing you hope sticks with readers after they finish your book?
That you can overcome. Whatever demon, whatever ailment, whatever trouble you have, YOU can overcome. It’s a struggle – I know – and at times you will feel overwhelmed and helpless. But if you keep pushing forward, day after day you will find yourself atop a hill looking out over a beautiful sunrise.
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