Mike Lieber

 

Mike Lieber holds bachelor's and master's degrees in political science. A business owner, husband and father, he previously served in the US Army, first as an enlisted man, and then as commissioned officer. He and his family live in Virginia. http://www.op-usa.org

 

"What some people give for their country is life changing. "Inception" tells the success story of retired billionaire and army officer Sean May. When an injury in Iraq sends him on a spiral onto the streets poor and destitute, his only chance for happiness may be one caring woman and a piece of evidence that could damn several corrupt individuals higher up. "Inception" is an absorbing novel of political intrigue and patriotism." Midwest Book Review


" 'Inception' is a real page-turner. Multiple sub-plots deftly interwoven. Mike Lieber has obviously done his research. (Having spent time in the Army followed by a career with the Federal Government dealing with military issues, I can vouch for the accuracy of many of the book's details.) I was even motivated to re-read the Constitution after an unpatriotic lapse of many years. There is obviously a sequel coming. I'll try to be first in line." Richard L. Wight

"A fascinating read, and undoubtedly relevant in today's world. I found this novel to be both highly informative and entertaining at the same time. Ops Populi - Inception is sure to get you thinking and asking yourself 'What if?' It will leave you eager to read more..." C. Rogel

 

 

PageOneLit.com: Where did you grow up and was reading and writing a part of your life? Who were your earliest influences and why?

Mike Lieber: I was raised in central Ohio, mostly in Columbus. I am told I was read to before I could walk, talk, or eat solid food, so needless to say, reading has been an important part of my life. I can trace my love of history to the beginning of second grade, when I received a set of American history books that I read and re-read constantly. In high school and college, I studied Latin, which not only exposed me to some of the classics, but also ignited the passionate love of language that will undoubtedly burn in me for the rest of my life. 

 

PageOneLit.com: Why do you write?

Mike Lieber: As I said above, I love language, and writing is a natural artistic outlet for me. I write for the sheer pleasure of it; I can think of nothing more personally satisfying than creating a literary work of substance through the skillful use of language.
 

 



PageOneLit.com: Briefly discuss your new book INCEPTION? Relate the title to your plot/story.

Mike Lieber: "Inception" tells the story of billionaire philanthropist, Martin Lochridge, who believes the best legacy he can leave humanity is a United States of America that truly fulfills the ideals of the Founding Fathers. To accomplish this, he and the group of his creation, "Ops Populi" (meaning "power to the people"), believe government must be reformed at its most fundamental level: the constitution that created our republic. The Framers ensured that the American people retained sovereign power, so it is the sovereign citizens of the country who must assert their supremacy to wrest control from the elite. "Inception" begins the epochal transition to the next great phase of America's evolution.

 





PageOneLit.com: Who is Sean May?

Mike Lieber: Sean is the inspiration for Martin Lochridge and, therefore, the catalyst for Ops Populi. As the story begins, he is a National Guardsman on active duty in Iraq, and he comes into the possession of a computer flash drive holding incriminating evidence of corruption at the highest levels of government. In civilian life, he is a political science professor whose doctoral dissertation discusses what he later comes to believe is the very necessary but virtually impossible process of a "peoples' convention" to correct systemic flaws in the U.S. Constitution. But he does not know that ten years before, he planted the seed to transform his vision into reality at a lecture on his dissertation topic hosted by a small, Maine non-profit – a lecture attended by the wealthy and well-connected Lochridge. 

 


PageOneLit.com: INCEPTION is very well researched and relevant. How did you research? What did you learn while researching for the book?

Mike Lieber: In a sense, I have been researching Inception for over 20 years, going all the way back to graduate school when the idea first came to me. Political science -- particularly American government -- is another passionate interest of mine, so I have continued my studies more or less throughout most of my adult life. The maturation of the internet has created enormous -- and unprecedented -- potential for civic participation in government, not to mention a seemingly unlimited resource for any writer, especially one who writes about politics.

 




PageOneLit.com: Plot or character - Which do you feel is more important and why?

Mike Lieber: In the case of "Inception," plot is clearly the most significant, if for no other reason than it leads the reader to the crucial "non-fiction" message I am trying to convey. On the other hand, to take a subject that most consider rather dull and turn it into entertainment was an interesting challenge in both plot and character development, so if I am to succeed as the messenger, there has to be a synergism produced be the combination of the two.



 




PageOneLit.com: Hollywood just called and asked for you to cast INCEPTION - Who would you cast and why?

Mike Lieber:  No harm in indulging in a little fantasy now and then! Well now, I have to admit I am not a big movie watcher, but I'll do my best for the three main characters:

1. Harrison Ford would make a good Martin Lochridge -- Wise, worldly, tough – yet, unpretentious.


2. For Sean May, I need someone who can look early forty-ish, be believable as an intellectual while also physically strong, but emotionally vulnerable. Perhaps David James Elliot of JAG notoriety.

3. Virginia ("Ginny") Burress -- Sandra Bullock is my first choice for her innocent beauty, charm and wit, but she would have to be able to still pass for early thirties.
 






PageOneLit.com: I understand INCEPTION is the first of a series? Discuss.


Mike Lieber: Inception sets the stage for a three-part series. The second book will center around the great drama and intrigue of formidable and determined resistance from the established power elite against a surge of mass activism -- something that has not been seen in this country since the Civil Rights Movement. The culmination -- the actual convention -- will be the basis for the third, and final book in the series.
 

 



PageOnelit.com: What do you hope to achieve with INCEPTION?

Mike Lieber: I hope a wide swath of the American public will not only engage in a discussion about the proper role of government in our society going forward, but also be moved to assert their constitutional sovereignty to re-make government into an instrument that promotes the "general welfare" of our nation rather than the entrenched special interests that currently have our public policy – and our future – in a stranglehold.
 

 


PageOneLit.com: What was the last book you read?

Mike Lieber: Non-fiction: "John Adams"
Fiction: "Eragon"

 



PageOneLit.com: What's next?

Mike Lieber: I am currently half-way through "Eldest," the sequel to "Eragon." Next up: "A Peoples' History of the United States," by Howard Zinn
 

 



PageOneLit.com: Do you have any hobbies? What are they? How do they enhance your writing?

Mike Lieber: Physical activity -- walking, swimming, lifting weights, working in the yard, etc. -- helps clear the mind, sharpen mental acuity. I love travel and working with wood, though I have precious little time to indulge myself in either.