A Native’s Tongue is about a young man trying to find his way in the world. He struggles to keep the woman he loves while entangled in the sex, drugs, and tragedy of Los Angeles. It was inspired by real events.

Intriguing. Give us details.
Charlie Winters has never been an overachiever. He is used to just getting by while living with his single mother and working a dead-end job at a cheesesteak stand. Meanwhile, he’s constantly grappling with the voice of his sister, who died in a tragic car accident years earlier, echoing in his head.

So when Violet, an older woman, sets her sights on Charlie and refuses to let go, he follows along. He soon finds himself immersed in a destructive relationship that still fails to fill the void within him.

But then he meets Jennifer, a mystical young woman whose energy and life convinces Charlie to pursue her, even through the darkest corners of Los Angeles, and sets their lives upon a path that can’t be stopped.

Escaping to the California coast, Charlie and Jennifer finally find what they’ve always needed. But a sudden illness quickly pulls them both back to LA. It is there, amid the sex, drugs, and split-second decisions that pulse through the city, that tragedy strikes—threatening to tear Charlie and Jennifer apart forever.

What genre is this novel?
Literary fiction.

Who will it appeal to?
Young adult, hipsters, lit snobs, and beyond.

Hipster. Lit snob. Is that how you’d describe Charlie?
Charlie Winters covers up his depression with excessive drinking, sex, and delusions of grandeur. He lives with his mother in the San Fernando Valley and works at a food court in the mall. Gets stuck trying to make others feel good. Always searching for a way to escape his dismal life. Finds what he is looking for in love at first sight when he meets Jennifer. He sacrifices it all to be with her.

Tell us about Jennifer. What’s she like?
Beautiful, natural blonde hair, witty and interesting. Daughter of a b-list Hollywood screenwriter. A tortured soul with issues of promiscuity and compulsive lying. Seeks her mother’s attention, but can’t seem to get it. Lives behind her parents house, sometimes sells herself for sex. Doesn’t have many friends.

Oh wow.
Who’s the third main character?
Violet- Late 30s, real estate agent, cougar and party buddy, lover, and sugar momma of Charlie’s. She falls in love with him and is driven to madness by the fact that Charlie leaves her for Jennifer. She has never been loved, and finally thinks she found it with Charlie. She is given a rude awakening and decides to take back what she thinks is rightfully hers.

And that sets the stage perfectly.
Have you written any other novels?
My next novel is in process and will be out next Spring 2015.

Tell us a bit about yourself.
Besides writing novels, I am also a playwright with a degree in English Literature from Loyola Marymount University. I received LMU’s Playwriting Award for my play, Death of a Watchdog. I live with my girlfriend and two dogs Jack and Aurora in Santa Monica, CA. When I am not writing I am reading, watching old foreign films, or working on vintage cars.

Do you have a website?
http://www.michaelddennis.com/

Are you on social media?
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/michaeldaviddennis
Twitter: @MichaelDDennis

What’s next for you?
I am going to do a lot of local and national readings for my novel A Native’s Tongue. I have some interest in a possible movie, but nothing is set in stone yet. Stay tuned and come see me if I’m in your city.