An author with a passion for cryptozoology, the paranormal, lost civilizations, and all things unexplained, Denver Michaels talks with the National Cryptid Society about his calling. The 43 year old Virginia native is the author of “People are Seeing Something: A Survey of Lake Monsters in the United States and Canada,” “Water Monsters South of the Border” and his latest book “Wild & Wonderful (and Paranormal) West Virginia.”
NCS: When did you first become interested in cryptozoology and unexplained phenomena?
Michaels: “It is hard to say when I first became interested in the unexplained. I can’t pinpoint it really. As a kid, I would check out books from the library on ESP, astral projection, and that sort of thing. I have also always been into “alternative history” and can remember as an 8-year-old explaining to my father that Columbus didn’t discover America. I didn’t get very far with him on that, but the point is I have always been open to different interpretations. Everything doesn’t fit as neatly into our own paradigm as we like to think.”
“I cannot remember a time when I didn’t believe in the possibility of extraterrestrial life. Along those same lines, it is hard to imagine that the thousands of lake monster and Bigfoot (and whatever other cryptids you chose) sightings are baseless and without merit. Maybe 95 percent can be explained—but what about the other 5 percent?”
NCS: Have you had any experiences or encounters that have made significant impact on your life?
Michaels: “I am sad to say that I have not had a cryptid sighting; I have never seen a UFO; the weirdest experiences I have had in haunted locations can be explained by convention means. However, I do not need to see to believe. I am sure that there is more to the world around us than what we know.”
NCS: What are you currently working on and what are your future plans?
Michaels: I love to write and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. I am currently working on a book about giants.
Can you describe your field research or investigations?
Michaels: “I do as much field work as I am able. I have a full-time job and write in my spare time. Lately, I have been focusing field work to whatever I am writing about. For instance, in my last book about strange phenomena in West Virginia, I visited a number of areas known for large black cat sightings and Sasquatch sightings. I also investigated a number of burial mounds and haunted locations throughout the state.”
NCS: Can you tell us a little about your latest book?
Michaels: My most recent book is called Wild & Wonderful (and Paranormal) West Virginia. The Mountain State experiences a disproportionate amount of strange phenomena and this book is sort of a “survey” of some of the weirdness. I also discuss some of the cryptid creatures roaming the hillsides of West Virginia.”
From UFO reports to Mothman, black cats to Bigfoot, river monsters to haunted towns, this book has a little something for everyone including some obscure historical nuggets.
Michaels has recently appeared on an episode of the CryptoCorner discussing the 2017 flying humanoid sightings over Chicago.
Readers can follow Denver Michaels on Twitter, Facebook and on his website www.davidmichaels.net.
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This collection of over 170+ articles, direct from newspapers of the 1800s and 1900s, brings some of the most bizarre, amazing, and incredible stories of true monster encounters out of the past and into your hands! Presented with zero spin or bias, this book delivers just the facts and allows you, the reader, to decide for yourself if the stories within actually happened or not.
From the funny to the frightening, the sincere to the weird, there is something for everyone within these pages!