Willy the Whale

When he was in the third grade at East Alton Elementary School, East Alton, IL, Michael Ringering selected Miriam E. Mason's Broomtail for a class-assigned book report, and from that moment on, set his sights on wanting to write short stories and other works of fiction.He published his first novel, Six Bits, in December 2011, earning finalist designation in the 2012 USA Best Book Awards for Fiction. Since then, he has published four short stories: Willy the Whale (2017), A Face on a Train (2017), A Calico Tale (2018), and The 9:15 to Grand Central (2019). Michael's second novel, A Debt of War, is in post-production. In December 2017, he started his third novel, a trilogy concept based on a childhood memory, and continues to work on several shorts. All these older works are being revised and will re-release with Evolved Publishing in the second half of 2021.Michael was born in Alton, IL, and raised in nearby East Alton, where he graduated from East Alton-Wood River High School in 1984. He is a 1989 graduate of Murray State University, earning a bachelor's degree in business administration. Following a 14-year career working in media relations and communications in Major League Baseball, he entered the healthcare industry where he serves as a surgical specialty administrator.Michael and his fiancée, Jackie, reside in Southern Illinois, with their own menagerie of animals including dogs, goats, horses, and chickens.