Roh Morgon's Blog, page 6
September 30, 2017
~ Runner: Book II of The Chosen
It’s finally here.
The day that I announce that Runner: Book II of The Chosen is available.
It’s been a long journey, filled with interruptions too numerous to count, medical issues, family problems, and repeated revisions.
It started eight years ago, when I finished writing Watcher: Book I of The Chosen. As the final words of the first book in the series hit the page in May 2009, I realized I needed to keep going. So I wrote the first section of Runner—about 20,000 words—and saved the file at what I felt was a good stopping spot. I then spent the next year and a half trying to learn how to write properly, and in October 2011, published Watcher.
Sometime in that eighteen months, I had a “shower inspiration“, also known as a “shower epiphany” or “shower thoughts.” (one study even noted that “72% of people get their best ideas in the shower“).
Anyhow, I had one of those moments. And in that moment, three characters walked into my head: a tall, massively built Native American male; a stocky, red-bearded Scot with a wee bit of an accent; and a diminutive, chocolate-skinned Creole woman every bit as lethal as the other two.
I had no idea who they were, or what role they’d play in Runner. I just knew they’d be pivotal.
And boy, did they turn out to be—in ways I never expected.
In June of 2011, I attended a self-publishing workshop in Oregon put on by Dean Wesley Smith. At the workshop, one of their recommendations for those of us working on a novel series is to write short stories that tie into the novels. The appearance of these stories in anthologies, periodicals, and other mediums provide an additional avenue through which to funnel readers to your series.
As my husband and I started the 16-hour drive home, I thought about that, and recalled the trio from my shower inspiration. The most interesting of the three was their leader, and so I decided to write his story about how he’d become a Chosen and how he winds up encountering Sunny, the series’ main character.
The result of that was The Last Trace, the first of three novellas that explore Taz’s life up to the time of Runner. But writing his story gave me more than just another book—it gave me a deeper insight into who he is and why he does the things he does.
But writing The Last Trace also delayed the writing of Runner, and the novel languished while I focused on historical research, editing, and publishing the novella.
Once Taz’s past was out of the way (at least the first part), I was able to dive back into Runner and made substantial progress on the novel.
A second major interruption (a wonderful one) was an opportunity to participate in a vampire anthology edited by Gabrielle Faust, noted author of the vampire series ETERNAL VIGILANCE and other dark fantasies. The theme centered on vampires and the games they play with both their prey and with each other, and I was fortunate enough to be invited to submit a story.
I didn’t even have to think hard about what to write. I had a ready-built world with The Chosen series, including characters. What I didn’t expect was the entrance of a character previously unknown to me—Colin O’Neill.
The story that ended up in 2013’s High Stakes: A Vampire Anthology, along with stories from nine award-winning authors, was The Games Monsters Play. And when the rights reverted to me after a year, I expanded the short story and published it as a novelette.
Again, all of that brought my work on Runner to a screeching halt. But I’m glad it did, because it allowed Colin to infiltrate my psyche, and he did it so surreptitiously that I was stunned when he walked onto the pages of Runner.
In early 2014, I sent the first completed draft to my core beta readers—Lex, Janine, Mellie, Edd, Earl, Vanessa, and Odette. The feedback was glowing, and contained wonderful suggestions for improvement, which I promptly incorporated.
But that draft was missing an early chapter—a chapter dealing with a complex medical emergency for one of the characters. I’d simply labeled it as “Surgery??” with the intention of researching that scenario once the first draft was finished.
That ended up being more complicated than I expected. And the more I researched, the more I realized I needed the expertise of a medical professional.
I found one later that year. Janeane was an emergency room nurse, and when I gave her the first part of Runner, she excitedly dove into her own research. Her critique of the chapters both before and after the missing one was invaluable, and I realized that I would need to completely rewrite the first section of the book in order to keep somewhat medically authentic.
That same year, and the one following it, was filled with my own medical issues, along with family problems and other distractions. The rewrite haunted me, and it wasn’t until 2016 that I completed it. I ran it past my sister-in-law, Gazelle, who is also in the medical profession, and after a few minor adjustments, she gave me the green light.
The second draft went out to another group of beta readers, including the wonderful Jeannie, my fox friend who read it several times and provided great insight and suggestions.
With a few changes and a last bit of polish, I handed the final draft over to a third group of betas, as well as my editor, Jodi Renee Lester.
At her suggestion, I sent it to a few readers who had not read Watcher. We wanted to ensure there was enough flashback and other references to the first book that someone starting the series with Runner wouldn’t feel lost—and yet, not be boring with too much rehash for current fans.
Another milestone in this journey was the discovery of a cover artist who captured the kind and quality of look I wanted for these books. I’d been looking for one for years, and though a couple were promising, I still kept looking. I was so thrilled when I found Deranged Doctor Design and fell in love with the covers done by Milo.
The timing couldn’t have been better—DDD was able to fit the first two books into their summer schedule in time for me to meet my publication deadlines in October. They’ve been awesome to work with, and I highly recommend their services.
And so here I am, with both of my main goals for the last six years just weeks away from achievement:
Watcher: Book I of The Chosen – with a professional, high-quality edit, additional content, and a shiny new cover, this book is finally what I’ve dreamed it could be, and, for the first time, I feel proud of it. The second edition premiers October 7. The ebook version is available now for pre-order.
Runner: Book II of The Chosen – after a journey as arduous as that of the main character, Runner will debut on October 25. Pre-orders for the ebook are available now.
What a long, strange trip it’s been.
I wouldn’t have had it any other way.
September 23, 2017
~ pre-orders for new Watcher: Book I of The Chosen
Last week, the new cover for the second edition of Watcher: Book I of The Chosen was revealed. Apparently folks like it – the two facebook posts picked up nearly 100 likes by unique viewers in less than two days, which, for me, was pretty spectacular considering the small number of followers I have.
A few people asked me about pre-orders, so as a thank you to my followers, pre-orders for the ebook version are now enabled at a discounted price.
Paperback pre-orders should hopefully be ready sometime later on this week.
As the official release date of October 7 nears, I’m scrambling to get the word out to readers and reviewers. There was never an official “launch” for the first edition, which was released six years ago almost to the day. This time around, I have a small, but very devoted following, and am trying to launch the new Watcher properly.
But this is also practice – because three weeks later, Runner: Book II of The Chosen, will be released as well. And since this is a “virgin” release, I’m doing everything I can to publicize it, including the promotion of its now grown-up sister, Watcher.
As I mentioned previously, I feel like I’ve just graduated high school and am starting college at the University of Life as a Published Writer.
Thank you to all of my supporters for sharing this journey with me.
Here is the link for ordering the ebook version of Watcher: Book I of The Chosen:
September 15, 2017
~ cover reveal
It’s Cover Reveal Day!
As I’ve mentioned here and elsewhere, Watcher: Book I of The Chosen, has been updated with a new cover, professional edit, and new material.
This second edition is scheduled for release on October 7, 2017, six years after its original publication date.
In the meantime, here’s a sneak peek at the new cover.
Hope you like it.
July 25, 2017
~ 50 minutes of fame
On Wednesday, July 26, I will be featured on Yvonne Mason‘s Off the Chain BlogTalk Radio podcast!
I’ll be sharing the latest news on The Chosen series:
Watcher is getting a makeover
The new cover is being worked on THIS WEEK and I hope to see the first draft by Friday
The revisions incorporating a professional edit and new material are nearly complete
Runner is with my editor
Its new cover will be ready at the end of August
Projected publication date – October 2017
Seeker is underway
Expect a Carpathian experience, courtesy of my trip to Romania last year
We’re gonna have fun on the show. I have all kinds of weirdness that I’m sure Yvonne will do her best to bring out. 
July 13, 2017
~ a little history
I’ve been a reader since I can remember. I started with animal stories, and along the way fell in love with a magnificent Arabian stallion called The Black in Walter Farley’s The Black Stallion. I read the whole series, and anything else about horses that I could get my hands on.
My next phase was the Readers’ Digest Condensed Books for Children. Though they were shortened versions, without the RD books I probably never would have been exposed to such classics as Jane Eyre, Pride and Prejudice, Moby Dick, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, and countless others.
When I was in junior high school, my dad signed me up for the Science Fiction Book Club. Every 30 days they would send their book-of-the-month. I read Planet of the Apes, 2001: A Space Odyssey and Dune long before they were made into movies, along with many other science fiction classics.
I briefly dabbled in westerns when I spent a summer with my grandparents, and I fell head over heels for the steel-eyed, silent stranger who was fast with a gun and saved the day.
And then I discovered fantasy. Lord of the Rings opened up doors to lands even more wonderful that those in the wild west or on the faraway planets of science fiction, and I quickly immersed myself into realms ruled by magic and swords.
In the 1990s, the movie Interview with a Vampire introduced me to a new genre. After I read all of Anne Rice’s books, I consumed every vampire story I could get my hands on. Wonderful stories by Chelsea Quinn Yarbro, Elaine Bergstrom, Nancy Collins, Nancy Baker and many others showed me how a simple mythology can have so many different—and fascinating—interpretations.
Fast forward to 2008. Vampires had taken over pop culture, thanks to the Twilight books and movies. Stephanie Meyer brought a new twist to the genre, one I thought was actually quite clever in spite of the grumblings by critics about “sparkly vampires.”
And then, one morning in December, I woke up with this sad, lonely vampire woman in my head. I couldn’t stop thinking about her, and when I got to work, I quickly wrote a one-page lament in her voice. She talked about her isolation, her fear of killing someone, and her anguish at watching her daughter live out her life from afar.
I wasn’t sure what to do at that point. I’d always thought about writing books, but never felt I had the time. Writing was something I’d decided would have to wait until I was retired.
But this creature, this vampire woman, would not leave me alone. And I found myself wondering about her life, and how she spent her time, and what had happened to make her this way.
And so, in early January 2009, I gave in and started writing down the bits of her existence that she revealed to me. Sunny showed me her life as though it were a movie, and all I did was translate the film into words on a computer screen.
Nicolas entered the picture a week or so later. Together they were relentless, and as their story unfolded in my head, movie-fashion, I could do nothing but write.
They would start in on me late at night, at 10:00, or maybe 11:00 – just when I was ready to go to bed. The movie played, and I had no choice but to type.
Sleep was a reward they allowed me only after the clock showed 2:00 or 3:00 in the morning, and I would gratefully shut down my computer and stagger to bed. My alarm would go off the next morning at 6:00 a.m., and I would crawl to work. After a long day, I returned home, only to repeat the cycle again, and again.
Weekends became typing marathons, with 5:00 a.m. bedtimes and 8:00 a.m. wakeups. And the movie played, and my fingers could only comply with the pressure to get the story out.
And I learned what it’s like to live with vampires.
Five months later, the first draft of the novel was completed. I then spent the next eighteen months learning how to write (something I’m still working on), and in October 2011, Watcher: Book I of The Chosen was born.
Since then, I’ve written several short stories in the Watcher world, along with a number of stories in a new YA series.
But the vampires refuse to let me go just yet. Runner: Book II of The Chosen is scheduled for release in Fall 2017—and there are more stories about their world on the way.
July 9, 2017
~ Watcher re-boot
Watcher re-boot?
Yes.
It’s been six years since Watcher: Book I of The Chosen was released. In that time, the series has gained a small but dedicated following.
And so, with the pending release of Runner: Book II of The Chosen this fall, I thought it was a good time to do something I’ve wanted to do for a long time:
Re-release a professionally edited Watcher, with new and improved content – and a brand new cover.
The editing was finished some time ago, but with my focus on completing Runner, it was necessary to delay actually incorporating those edits.
Runner is now with my editor, and Watcher is getting a serious makeover – one that I hope will make it more worthy to be the flagship of this series.
But even with snappier dialog, expanded scenes, and a flashy new cover, the heart of the story remains the same – a story about choice, about love and loss, and about coming out stronger on the other side.
March 24, 2017
~ a new story
The place was a fictional town in England by the name of Woadsbury (known for growing the woad dye plant and making the blue dye itself). The family was the resident, or in some cases, ruling family of the town. There was no restriction on time period, and so the antho opened with a story that pre-dated history and ended with one set in the far future in space.
The story I wrote took place in the early 1600’s during one of Europe’s witch-hunting phases, and was a charming fantasy about a young healer and her dog. It’s my mother’s favorite story that I’ve written.
Unfortunately, the FSFW group disbanded and its members are now scattered across the world. Our ambitious little anthology (our second such project) withered away with no one to curate it, and our stories of Woadsbury and its family sit idly by on desktops and laptops and forgotten flash drives.
Recently, I took out my Woadsbury story and dusted it off with the idea of fleshing it out a bit and publishing it as a stand-alone novella. In the process, it changed from semi-YA to YA, gained a new title, and tripled in word count (nearly novel-length). It’s also tied more securely to my middle-grade/YA series, Forbidden Doorways, that I’ve been working on here and there for many years.
So, to make a long story short (one about me making a short story long), I will be looking for beta readers who enjoy YA fantasy. This is a bit of a sweet romance, with a little humor and a little darkness here and there. Oh, and magic. It has lots of that.
Stay tuned for my next post, in which I will include the opening scene from “Saving Magic”.
February 24, 2017
~ women in horror month blog talks – day 5
W.J. Howard is the organizer behind this week’s Women in Horror Month Blog Talks. Below is her blog post with a list of featured writers for today’s topic, “Torture”.
~ ~ ~
Welcome to our final day of Women in Horror Month Blog Talks featuring a discussion on torture. Below is a list of blogs and guests in today’s talks.
To Connect with Participants and Join More Discussions
Go to the Facebook Event Page
James P. McDonald hosts
Torture as a Favorite Pastime
by Anne Hogue-Boucher
Anne is always wondering when the stars will be right, and is madly in love with her spouse. She is a werewolf wrangler, and writer of weird fiction and horror.
Go to Blog
W. J. Howard hosts
Thinking Torture
by Dina Rae
Dina Rae has penned 6 books with a 7th on the way. Her themes revolve around conspiracy, NWO, paranormal, and aliens. The Best Seller is her latest book.
Go to Blog
Briana Robertson hosts
Fascinating Torture
by W. J. Howard
Wendy Howard writes dark stories mixed with comedy. She lives in Colorado with her husband and two boisterous beagles, and wine is an important part of her diet.
Go to Blog
Roadie Notes hosts
The Most Intense Torture
by Debbie Christiana
Debbie writes dark romantic fiction and dark short fiction. She’s a lover of yoga, Halloween, horror, wine and Labradors.
Go to Blog
Dina Rae hosts
A Difficult Topic
by James P. McDonald
James is a business and technology consultant, fiction and non-fic author, technology and futurist speaker.
Go to Blog
W. J. Howard hosts
The Threat
by L.J. Moran
L.J. Moran currently lives in S. Jersey. She’s into animal rescue, horror conventions, and is addicted to coffee.
Go to Blog
February 23, 2017
~ women in horror month blog talks – day 4
W.J. Howard is the organizer behind this week’s Women in Horror Month Blog Talks. Below is her blog post with a list of featured writers for today’s topic, “Evil Women in Pop Culture”.
Welcome to our fourth day of Women in Horror Month Blog Talks featuring a discussion on evil women in pop culture. Below is a list of blogs and guests in today’s talks.
To Connect with Participants and Join More Discussions
Go to the Facebook Event Page
W. J. Howard hosts
The Worst Kind of Villain
by James P. McDonald
James is a business and technology consultant, fiction and non-fic author, technology and futurist speaker.
Go to Blog
James P. McDonald hosts
Women Who Kill
by C.A. Verstraete
C.A. Verstraete loves writing with a bit of a scare! She is author of Lizzie Borden, Zombie Hunter and a young adult novel, GIRL Z: My Life as a Teenage Zombie.
Go to Blog
W. J. Howard hosts
My top 5 Villainesses in Horror/SF Horror list
by Juli D. Revezzo
Juli writes fantasy and romantic stories filled in with elements garnered from a lifetime love affair with magic, myth, witches, wizards, and fated lovers and legend.
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C.A. Verstraete hosts
Death Personified
by Zrinka Jelic
Zrinka Jelic lives in Ontario, Canada. She’s a member of the Romance Writers of America and its Fantasy Futuristic & Paranormal chapter, as well as Savvy Authors.
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Claire Fitzpatrick hosts
Beverley Allitt: Serial Murderer and
Evil Woman in Pop Culture
by W. J. Howard
Wendy Howard writes dark stories mixed with comedy. She lives in Colorado with her husband and two boisterous beagles, and wine is an important part of her diet.
Go to Blog
February 22, 2017
~ women in horror month blog talks – day 3
W.J. Howard is the organizer behind this week’s Women in Horror Month Blog Talks. Below is her blog post with a list of featured writers for today’s topic, “Scary Confessions”.
~ ~ ~
Welcome to our third day of Women in Horror Month Blog Talks featuring a discussion on our scary confessions. Below is a list of blogs and guests in today’s talks.
To Connect with Participants and Join More Discussions
Go to the Facebook Event Page
W. J. Howard hosts
Scary Inspiration
by W. J. Howard with Lauren Curtis
Wendy Howard writes dark stories mixed with comedy. She lives in Colorado with her husband and two boisterous beagles, and wine is an important part of her diet.
Go to Blog
Audrey Brice hosts
Secret Confession: I’m Not a Woman in Horror
by B.E. Scully
B.E. Scully lives in a haunted red house that lacks a foundation in the misty woods of Oregon with a variety of human and animal companions.
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Lincoln Farish hosts
Inner Voice
by Suzie Lockhart
Convinced she was destined to be an artist, Suzie Lockhart attended The Art Institute of Pittsburgh after graduating high school, but the gnawing urge to write remained with her.
AND
Nightmares
by Naching T. Kassa
Naching T. Kassa is a wife, mother, and Horror Author. She is a member of the Horror Writers Association and a contributor to the Demonic Visions series.
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Naching T. Kassa hosts
A Path of Fear
by Carson Buckingham
Carson Buckingham is a professional novelist, short story writer, editor, proofreader, copywriter, technical writer, comedy writer and worshipper of Terry Pratchett and Shirley Jackson.
AND
Nightmare Influence
by Zrinka Jelic
Zrinka Jelic is a member Romance Writers of America and its Fantasy Futuristic & Paranormal chapter, as well as Savvy Authors. She writes contemporary fiction, which leans toward the paranormal and adds a pinch of history.
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Travis Heermann hosts
Enter the Spirit World
by Audrey Brice
Audrey Brice writes paranormal thrillers, mysteries, and horror stories where spirits, demons, and occult practitioners are both heroes and villains.
AND
Everyday Horror
by Briana Robertson
Briana Robertson is the author of all things dark–horror, fantasy, poetry, and more. Advocate for mental health and suicide awareness. Wife and mother of three.
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Christine Fitzpatrick hosts
Irrational Things
by Claire L. Fishback
Claire lives in Morrison, Colorado with her loving husband, Tim, and their pit bull mix, Belle. Writing has been her passion since age six.
AND
Fear of Failure
by James P. McDonald
James is a business and technology consultant, fiction and non-fic author, technology and futurist speaker.
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Roadie Notes hosts
Night Terrors
by KC Grifant
The founding co-chair of the Horror Writers Association’s San Diego Chapter, KC Grifant has written scifi, horror and fantasy stories for the Lovecraft Ezine and more.
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