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Michael W. Harkins is an independent journalist, author, and occasional writing instructor based in Northern California. He provides valuable writing instruction to aspiring authors, helping them to start their writing journey through his published works and resources.

His 2016 book, "Move to Fire - A family's tragedy, a lone attorney, and a teenager's victory over a corrupt gunmaker," tells the true story of a boy who was accidentally shot and paralyzed by a defective handgun, and the attorney who achieved a historic twenty-four million dollar product liability judgment for him a decade later. This impactful book was one of only nine independently published nonfiction titles to receive a starred review from Publishers Weekly in 2016, and it was also featured on the Spring Titles to Watch list and the 2016 Independent All Stars list. The book is currently in development as an independent feature film.

In May 2025, he released an updated second edition of his book, The Way to Begin, which offers writing tips and a creative writing method for new writers who are struggling to develop and transform their ideas into compelling opening pages.

His 2022 work, If Steve, Then Steph, is an exclusive in-depth profile of Steve Jobs' personal producer for thirty years, and it became an Amazon number one Hot Seller in its category.

Spanning a forty-year creative career, Michael has worked with a diverse range of clients. His writing has been featured in Real Simple magazine, Thrice Fiction magazine, and NorthBay Biz magazine, where he also served as the creative director. Additionally, his NPR All Things Considered piece, Mom's Voice, became a listener favorite.

From the mid-1970s to the late 1980s, he had the opportunity to work in concert and video productions with many of the era's premier recording artists, including Journey, Bruce Springsteen, Santana, the Grateful Dead, Michael Jackson, and Prince.

Michael is also a former adult literacy tutor, volunteers with several wildlife organizations, and is a veteran of the Army’s elite 82nd Airborne Division.