First Descent

There’s a sense of awakening in First Descent by Mike Pace, where wintry silence gives way to ancient echoes and modern threats. The story moves between two intertwined worlds, each shaped by power, myth, and a mystery that refuses to stay buried. The deeper those worlds draw toward each other, the more urgent the danger becomes.

For Nick Landowski, the disappearance of his father during an Arctic search for a red-diamond cave has always been a wound he keeps closed. But when a mining accident cracks open the strange geode Virgil left behind and reveals a hidden key, it pulls Nick into a journey he never expected to take. The trail leads him through a present-day clash driven by competition for the Coca-Cola formula and into an older world bound by winter magic and shifting time. As enemies from both realms converge, Nick uncovers a long-hidden connection between his father’s expedition, a mythic source of seasonal power, and a looming threat capable of unraveling the heart of Christmas. Each discovery draws him deeper into a legacy he can’t outrun. And to stop what’s coming, Nick must unlock the truth behind the legend that claimed his father—and now hunts him.

Thriller author Mike Pace has spent his entire life weaving stories across an extraordinary range of experiences. One of his earliest creative memories is helping write his fourth-grade Christmas play in Pittsburgh, a spark that carried him to the University of Illinois on an art scholarship, where he earned a BFA. He later taught elementary school in Washington, D.C.’s inner city, filling his classroom with imagination games and daily storytelling as “Mr. Paste.” While teaching by day, he attended Georgetown Law at night and went on to serve on the editorial board of the Georgetown Law Journal, clerk for a federal judge, and prosecute major felony cases—including murder—as an Assistant United States Attorney for the District of Columbia.

After serving as general counsel for a national environmental services company, Mike shifted his focus to his first love: creative writing. He has written for stage and screen, earning praise from The Washington Post, and is an active member of the International Thriller Writers and the Maryland Writers Association. Outside of writing, he enjoys painting, skiing, golf, the Baltimore Ravens, and learning new skills such as the soprano saxophone. Learn more at his website.

Amazon: https://tinyurl.com/firstdescentmikepace

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/243039452-first-descent

Writing Process & Creativity

What’s the hardest scene or character you wrote—and why?

Probably the lead protagonist, Nick. The book has a Christmas theme, although this isn’t apparent till well into the read. Nick’s a regular guy, perfectly content with his blue-collar job and his western small-town life. To then insert him into a fantasy world where he is called upon to do heroic things that can affect the entire planet in a way that comes across as believable was a challenge.

What sets your book apart from others in your genre?

The First Descent is my first “hybrid” effort combining an adventure thriller with fantasy. Using this mix of grounded present day realism (including the heist of the Coke formula) with a fantasy world where time spins unevenly and sorcerers rule was both challenging and great fun.

What helps you overcome writer’s block?

Anything physical. Working out at the gym. Playing crappy golf. Long walks with my dog, Jack.

What’s your favorite compliment you’ve received as a writer?

I received a note from a young woman who lived on a farm in North Dakota. It was winter. She felt lonely and a bit depressed. She told me my book transported her to a new world and distracted her from the gray, snowy, desolate days outside.

Your Writing Life

Do you write every day? What’s your schedule?

I write almost every morning. Once I get much past lunchtime, I’m usually done.

Where do you write—home, coffee shop, train? 

In my home office. I’m afraid I’m not the neatest person in the world. My desk is always a mess, and I’m the only one who knows where everything is.

Any quirky writing rituals or must-have snacks?

Wheat Thins. I have to struggle not to consume a whole box.

Behind the Book

Why did you choose this setting/topic?

Despite the commercialization of Christmas that seems to grow every year, so far I’ve been able to ward off the cynicism that understandably has infected so many people about this holiday. I love Christmas, and I wanted to write something that contained a Christmas element but wasn’t singing elves and dancing candy canes. Because I’d been writing in the thriller genre, I wanted to create a Christmas story that wasn’t syrupy. Instead, I wanted a story that was exciting with good guys and bad guys and danger at every turn, yet inspirational and highly original. PG rated, it should appeal to YA through adults.

If your book became a movie, who would star in it?

I like Glenn Powell as the lead.

Which author(s) most inspired you?

Too many to name them all, but here’s a few: Doug Preston, Stephen King, David Baldacci, John Grisham, and Daniel Silva. 

Fun & Lighthearted 

What’s your go-to comfort food?

Wheat Thins, peanut butter-filled pretzel bites

What are you binge-watching right now?

Now that Yellowstone is over, it’s tough. In the middle of The Morning Show at the moment

If you could time-travel, where would you go?

I’d like to go back to the sixth floor of the Texas School Book Depository building on November 22,1963 and stop Oswald from killing President Kennedy. If he lived, I think he could’ve been a good president for another term. Also, I’d like to go forward thirty years to see how much AI has transformed the world (and also to see how my kids turned out.)

What’s something that made you laugh this week?

I missed a two foot putt. It was either laugh or cry, and, as everyone knows, there’s no crying in golf.