Megan Morgan's Blog, page 11
February 14, 2018
Cover Reveal for Bloom by Nikki Rae
Bloom
The Order Series 1
by Nikki Rae
Genre: Adult Dark Contemporary Romance
Given to The Grimm Order as an infant, Fawn was raised in a world shaped by
the rich and powerful. When she was sold at the age of nine to a
Suitor, Fawn believed he would protect her from the “Mainworld”,
where those who know nothing about the Order live. Living with the
cruel man who bought her freedom, she finds just what the Order is
about: money, control, and status for the Owner and humiliation and
abuse for those they own.
Unwilling to accept the expectations of being Owned, Fawn goes from golden girl
to maid, content to live in the shadows of the Order as long as she
isn’t Owned again.
It’s been ten years since she disgraced her former Owner’s name, and now
the brooding Frenchman Elliot Lyon wants her. Master Lyon is kind,
smart, and unlike any man she’s met. She doesn’t want to admit it
to herself, but Fawn is drawn to him despite constantly planning her
next escape.
Even the prettiest flowers have thorns, and Master Lyon is hiding secrets
that will uproot everything she thinks she knows about him.
Goodreads * Amazon
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“Fawn,” he said suddenly, his voice soft but still making me jump in my seat. “Were they out of flower names?” he asked, a smile in his voice.
He let on that he knew about the inner-workings of the actual Compound more than my last Owner. Then again, my last one only cared about one thing. He didn’t play these mind games this guy seemed to like.
Master Lyon sighed, convinced I wouldn’t answer, but for some reason I couldn’t keep my mouth shut.
“I was one of the originals at the California Compound.” I hesitated almost too long before I brought my eyes back to his face. He was staring, waiting for me to say more. “We all had animal names,” I said, trying and failing to hide the disgust in my voice.
“Fawn,” he said. “With those eyes?”
I blinked, wondering what he meant.
“They’re so large and expressive,” he explained. “You’re more of a Doe to me.”
So this would be my new name? Not Dog or Whore, but Doe?
He smiled like I’d said something funny but I wasn’t joking. “Do you not like it?”
I didn’t know why he cared if I did or did not like something. It shouldn’t matter to him. I didn’t like any of this and it was obvious. He was asking to toy with me, get me to talk. I was done talking. I bit the inside of my cheek to keep the words from spilling out.
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Nikki Rae is an independent author who lives in New Jersey. She explores
human nature through fiction, concentrating on making the imaginary
as real as possible. Her genres of choice are mainly dark, scary,
romantic tales, but she’ll try anything once. When she is not
writing, reading, or thinking, you can find her spending time with
animals, drawing in a quiet corner, or studying people. Closely.
Website * Newsletter * Facebook * Fan Group * Twitter
Instagram * Amazon * Goodreads
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February 12, 2018
Am I famous yet?
I’m deviating from my usual blogging today because I have a special announcement and I’m SO EXCITED, I just have to tell everyone.
I’ve been invited to be a guest author at the 2019 East Coast Author’s Convention! AAAH.
Though it doesn’t happen until October of 2019, wheels are in motion now for this romance convention to be held near Philadelphia, PA. 70 authors were invited from those who expressed interest and I’m so thrilled to say I WAS ONE! I’m really looking forward to this event–it’s within driving distance, and it will officially be my first convention as Megan Morgan. What’s more, my publisher, Evernight, is one of the sponsors, so I’ll be in their special showcase room, selling books, signing autographs, and taking pictures!
Tickets aren’t on sale and there isn’t tons of information available yet, obviously because it’s so far in the future, but you can check out the website for more information. If you’re planning on attending you can also join the FB group.
I have so much to do and get ready and AAAAH–I only have a year and eight months left! 
February 9, 2018
Cars In Space!
Life seems to be cruising along at a pleasant pace for me right now. A lot of things are just going right–it always makes me cautious that the big cartoon hammer is waiting juuuust around the corner to bop me on the head. I’ll try to enjoy this feeling while it lasts!
I’ve decided not to do the April A to Z Challenge this year, as I won’t really have time for it with all the writing stuff I currently have on my plate. But good luck and have fun, everyone who is participating!
Do you know that Elon Musk launched his car into space this week, partly in an effort to get the world interested in space exploration again? Yes, that’s a real picture. What an amazing and incredible time we live in. Rovers on Mars! Cars in space! I hope someday I’m rich enough to launch my own car into space (I guess I’ll have to get rich enough to actually buy one first).
The weekend is almost here! How was your week?
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February 7, 2018
Adding Some Variety
[image error]This post is part of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group blog hop. The first Wednesday of every month is Insecure Writer’s Support Group day. Post your thoughts on your own blog. Talk about your doubts and the fears you have conquered. Discuss your struggles and triumphs. Offer a word of encouragement for others who are struggling. The awesome co-hosts for the February 7 posting of the IWSG are Stephen Tremp, Pat Garcia, Angela Wooldridge, Victoria Marie Lees, and Madeline Mora-Summonte!
This month I’m not feeling too terribly insecure, probably because I just had a publication acceptance! My first full length contemporary romance, The Marrying Type, was picked up by Evernight Publishing. It’s still early stages so I don’t have much information on when it will come out (we haven’t even begun edits yet) but I’m thrilled about it. I usually write paranormal/urban fantasy, which is why I say it’s my first full length contemporary. I do have several other contemporary romances published, but they’re novellas.
I guess that brings up an insecurity, however: should I mix up the genres I write? You always hear writing experts cry BUILD YOUR BRAND, which I suppose means you should focus on one thing, or specialize. However, I like writing both paranormal and contemporary, and darn it, I want to do both. If anything, I think it would broaden my audience as some readers like one or the other, or do read both. I know there are other romance authors who write both. This is probably not something I need to chew over as much as I am–the answer, of course, is WRITE WHAT MAKES YOU HAPPY. The rest will follow. Publish books, gain readers, build your career. That should be the focus.
Right?
February 7 question – What do you love about the genre you write in most often?
Of course, you might have figured out from that dramatic diatribe that I’m a romance author. What do I love about it? Well, it’s fun. I like writing about love and relationships. I also love the community–both authors and readers are voracious, and they’re very supportive of each other, too. It’s a huge industry, so there’s lots of opportunity in it. I don’t really care if the naysayers claim that romance novels aren’t “real books” because the numbers certainly say otherwise. Go back to your literary tower and pretend that Walt Whitman never wrote love poems and that Jane Austen isn’t “really” a romance novelist. Pffft!
How about you? What do you love about your genre?
Enchanter Redeemed by Sharon Ashwood
Today I’m hosting Sharon Ashwood and her paranormal romance Enchanter Redeemed. Sharon is giving away paperback copies of the first three books in this series, so make sure to enter the Rafflecopter giveaway!
Enter to win paperback copies of the first three books in the Camelot Reborn series
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Enchanter Redeemed
Camelot Reborn – Book Four
Sharon Ashwood
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Publisher: Harlequin Nocturne
Date of Publication: February 1, 2018
ISBN: 978-1335629487
ASIN: B073P5TL7J
Number of pages: 300
Word Count: 80,000
Cover Artist: Brandon Allen
Ancient magic and new passion…
In the last battle for Camelot, Merlin had to make a terrible choice. Now he must pay the price. When a demon from his past reappears, she wants nothing more than to destroy the wizard. Now to reap her vengeance as a lover scorned, the demon occupies the body of Clary—the apprentice who is capturing his heart—and has the innocent behaving in uncharacteristic ways. Ways that push the forbidden desire Clary and Merlin share into heated play…
Book Trailer: https://youtu.be/btP6qzxOmpk
Harlequin Amazon BN Kobo iBooks
Other Books in the Series
Book 1 – Enchanted Warrior (RITA nominee)
Book 2 – Enchanted Guardian
Book 3 – Royal Enchantment
EXCERPT:
Clary jolted awake. Power surged through her body, painful and suffocating. Her spine arched into it—or maybe away from it, she wasn’t sure. Merlin had one hand on her side and the other on her chest, using his magic like a defibrillator. The sensation hammered her from the inside while every hair on her body stood straight up. When he released her, she sagged in relief. A drifting sensation took over, as if she were a feather in an updraft.
Merlin’s fingers went to her neck, checking for a pulse. His hands were hot from working spells, the touch firm yet gentle. In her weakened state, Clary shivered slightly, wanting to bare her throat in surrender. She was a sucker for dark, broody masculinity and he projected it like a beacon. All the same, Clary sucked in a breath before he got any big ideas about mouth-to-mouth. If Merlin was going to kiss her, she wanted wine and soft music, not blood and the dirty workshop floor.
Another bolt of power, more pain, another pulse check. Clary managed a moan, and she heard the sharp intake of Merlin’s breath. His hand withdrew from her pulse point as she forced her eyes open. He was staring down at her with his peculiar amber eyes, dark brows furrowed in concern. She was used to him prickly, arrogant or sarcastic, but not this. She’d never seen that oddly vulnerable expression before—but it quickly fled as their gazes met.
“You’re alive.” He said it like a fact, any softness gone.
“Yup.” Clary pushed herself up on her elbows. She hurt all over. “What was that?”
“A demon.”
“I got that much.” Clary held up her arm, peering through the rents in her jacket where the demon’s claws had slashed. Merlin’s zap of power had stopped the bleeding, but the deep scratches were red, puffy and hurt like blazes.
“Demon claws are toxic.”
“Got that, too.”
“I can put a salve on the wound, but you’d be smart to have Tamsin look at it,” Merlin said. “Your sister is a better healer than I am.”
“She’s better than anybody.” Clary said it with the automatic loyalty of a little sister, but it was true. “She’s got a better bedside manner, too.”
Merlin raised a brow, his natural arrogance back in place. “Just be glad you’re alive.”
She studied Merlin, acutely aware of how much magic he’d used to shut the demon down. He looked like a man in his early thirties, but there was no telling how old he actually was. He was lean-faced with permanent stubble and dark hair that curled at his collar. At first glance, he looked like a radical arts professor or dot-com squillionaire contemplating his next disruptive innovation. It took a second look to notice the muscular physique hidden by the comfortable clothes. Merlin had a way of sliding under most radars, but Clary never underestimated the power he could pluck out of thin air. She was witch born, a member of the Shadowring Coven, but he was light years beyond their strongest warlocks.
That strength was like catnip to her—although she’d never, ever admit that out loud. “What were you doing?” she demanded, struggling the rest of the way to a sitting position.
“I was watching the demons through a scrying portal when you interrupted me.” His tone was precise and growing colder with every syllable. Now that the crisis was over, he was getting angry.
“The she-demon tried to kill me.” Clary’s insides hollowed as the words sank home. Dear goddess, she did kill me! And Merlin had brought her back before a second had passed—but it had happened. Her witch’s senses had felt it happen. The realization left her light-headed.
“She doesn’t get to have you,” he said in a low voice.
Their gazes locked, and something twisted in Clary’s chest. She’d been hurt on Merlin’s watch, and he was furious. No, what she saw in his eyes was more than icy anger. It was a heated, primal possessiveness that came from a far different Merlin than she knew. Clary’s breath stopped. Surely she was misreading the situation. Death and zapping had scrambled her thoughts.
“I shouldn’t have walked in on you.”
“No, you shouldn’t have,” he said in a voice filled with the same mix of ice and fire. “You’d be a better student of magic if you paid attention. You asked me to teach you proper magic and not the baby food the covens use. Real magic is deadly.”
Abruptly, he stood and crossed the room to kick a shard of agate against the wall. It bounced with a savage clatter. Clary got to her feet, her knees wobbling. He spun and stormed back to her in one motion, moving so fast she barely knew what was happening.
He took her by the shoulders, the grip rough. “Don’t ever do that again!”
And then his mouth crushed hers in a hard, angry kiss. Clary gasped in surprise, but there was no air, only him, and only his need. She rose slowly onto her toes, the gesture both surrender and a desire to hold her own. She’d been kissed many times before, but never consumed this way. His lips were greedy and hot with that same confusing array of emotions she’d seen a moment ago. Anger. Fear. Possession. Protectiveness.
Volatile. That was the word she’d so often used in her own head when thinking about him. Volatile, though he kept himself on a very short chain. Right now that chain had slipped.
For the first two chapters, click here: http://www.rowanartistry.com/book/enchanter-redeemed/
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
[image error]Sharon Ashwood is a free-lance journalist, novelist, desk jockey and enthusiast for the weird and spooky. She has an English literature degree but works as a finance geek. Interests include growing her to-be-read pile and playing with the toy graveyard on her desk. As a vegetarian, she freely admits the whole vampire/werewolf lifestyle fantasy would never work out, so she writes paranormal romances instead.
Sharon lives in the Pacific Northwest and is owned by the Demon Lord of Kitty Badness.
Website http://www.rowanartistry.com/authors/sharon-ashwood/
Twitter https://twitter.com/RowanAshArt
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/rowanashart/
Pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/rowanashart/
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/authorsharonashwood/
Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1880316.Sharon_Ashwood
Newsletter http://www.rowanartistry.com/authors/sharon-ashwood/
Enter to win paperback copies of the first three books in the Camelot Reborn series
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February 5, 2018
The Outsider
For the next few weeks, I’m going to do a series of posts on the conflicts that can be found in a narrative. Depending where you look, and whose advice you ask, there’s anywhere from 4-10 types of conflict that can drive a plot. I’m only going to cover six, though. Those being:
Character vs. Character
Character vs. Self
Character vs. Society
Character vs. Nature
Character vs. Fate
Character vs. Machine/Supernatural/Other
Character vs. Society
Ah, the rebel character. They’re fighting against The Man, whether they planned it that way or they just happened to be dropped into a situation where they had to challenge the normal order of things. They might be on the run, or not, but others look down on them and they have to do what’s right (for them, anyway). This can cover a broad range of situations and character types. Deep down, we all find certain things about society unappealing to us, and we might even buck those things, at least to some extent. The rebel character really resonates with us, especially if they’re scorning the same things that we do.
[image error]This sort of conflict can cover a broad range of topics: a character fighting against injustice in the real world; a character fighting against a corrupt system in a made-up society (dystopian and sci-fi often explore this); a character who is abandoning norms and traditions of their culture; criminals; someone fighting the government; someone who lives outside of society; even someone who is shunned or exiled from their society. Whatever the plot, the character is fighting something bigger than them: they’re fighting the world, or, they’re fighting for the world to accept them. It can be as complex as someone trying to bring down a corrupt leader or more simple like someone not wanting to be forced into an arranged marriage.
These sort of stories look at the bigger picture, of how we function within society and as human beings. There are lots of unwritten rules and expectations that are placed on us every day–so many that we probably don’t even realize they’re happening. Fiction can help bring attention to things like that and make us realize how being human is a strange and complicated set of workings, especially when we have to interact with each other and the organizations we’ve built.
Character vs. Society needs:
Someone operating outside the lines. Your character has to be willing to step outside the norms of the world they live in, question things, and want something different for themselves. They probably have a strong sense of personal morality and they’re willing to fight for what they think is right. Even if it’s not a good vs. evil scenario and more an evil vs. good one (like the character is a criminal) it’s important to show why that particular lifestyle is important to your character (do they do it for the thrill, money, or to protect someone?).
A system they must overcome. The Big Bad in your story is something much more powerful than your character–a staunch and ingrained tradition, a powerful corporation or government, a way of thinking that’s hard to change, the law–and it must be bad enough that your character finally has enough and decides to stand up and fight. Alternately, it can be something they’re having a hard time breaking into or being a part of, but they desperately want to be.
No easy way out (or in). If the societal juggernaut is easily vanquished, it’s not a story. The character should struggle and be up against some powerful odds. It’s not easy to bring down the government or evade the law. It’s also not easy to be accepted when you’re an outsider. Give the character something to work on.
This sort of conflict is actually one we all face at some level in our own lives, it’s even part of being human. We don’t always win the fight, but fiction gives us hope. Do you like this sort of conflict? What is you favorite type of Character vs. Society plot?
February 2, 2018
No ideas…(but lots of good news!)
Usually, in February, I start preparing my posts for the Blogging from A to Z Challenge. I like to get ahead and have everything all prepared well in advance, so I can mostly coast through April.
Well, here it is somehow ALREADY freakin’ February! And…I have no idea what I want to write about this year for the challenge.
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I guess I better figure out something soon, huh? Only two more months!
Are you doing the challenge this year? Do you know what your theme is? Have you started writing yet?
Also: I have some exciting NEWS. Now that the contract has been signed I can officially announce that Evernight Publishing has picked up my first full-length contemporary romance, The Marrying Type. I’m so thrilled! Starting off 2018 right, I guess. I will let everyone know when I have more information, such as a release date!
Have a great weekend!
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January 31, 2018
Overcoming Yourself
For the next few weeks, I’m going to do a series of posts on the conflicts that can be found in a narrative. Depending where you look, and whose advice you ask, there’s anywhere from 4-10 types of conflict that can drive a plot. I’m only going to cover six, though. Those being:
Character vs. Character
Character vs. Self
Character vs. Society
Character vs. Nature
Character vs. Fate
Character vs. Machine/Supernatural/Other
Character vs. Self
This type of conflict is all about morals, and is often presented alongside another type of conflict. Some value that your character holds dear and true is tested. They are forced to do something they wouldn’t otherwise do, or maybe even dream of doing in a million years. This can be something as dramatic as the hero has to kill someone to save his family, or as benign as grandma has to sabotage her beloved bake sale to find out who has been poisoning the cookies (okay, maybe that’s not really benign). The person has to overcome their sense of goodness and righteousness to make sure something bad doesn’t happen, and it wracks them with guilt, horror, and a lot of other bad emotions as they watch themselves act out of character for the greater good.
[image error]It can also be a story about the character trying to overcome something negative about themselves. Someone trying to overcome addiction, put a wretched past behind them, or make amends for something terrible they’ve done. They’re actively trying to grow and turn into something they can admire. This is difficult for them though, or at least it should be, or it’s not much of a story. We often identify with stories like this, even if we’re not suffering from the same afflictions as the protagonist, because we’re all struggling and trying to overcome something within ourselves. At least, I think most of us are. Getting a peek inside someone else’s head while they fight can be comforting and give us strength.
Overcoming oneself is sometimes the worst battle of all. At least with a villain to fight, there’s a cause we can aggressively rally against, and we can draw lines of right and wrong. When we’re fighting ourselves, were trapped in a small, confined space with the “villian” and there’s no escape. We can’t fight them with fists and any pain or suffering we inflict upon them is inflicted upon ourselves. We can’t kill them. All we can do is live with them and try to get them to change and shift their patterns of thinking, or convince them to do what they have to do to accomplish what needs to be done. This is a terrible struggle, and writing about it is also writing about humanity in general.
For Character vs. Self, you need:
A challenge. The protagonist may have to do something they find it hard to bring themselves to do, or they may have to wrestle their own mind to the ground and tell it that it’s time for a change. Either way, they can’t sit in place and just let things happen to them. The challenge must be so great that they have no choice but to get on their feet and fight.
A battle. They must actively battle against their inner voices, conscience, and their values to try to get to the end of the struggle. They have to grapple with what’s tormenting them, or set aside all they believe in so they can overcome. Again, it’s important they don’t just sit in place and let things happen, or there’s no story.
A way to overcome. If it’s hopeless, then the story ends in only one way–the end of the protagonist. And yes, this does happen in fiction and it sadly happens way too often in real life, but you should at least give your character a fighting chance. Give them some weapons and some means, and at least let the reader hope for a little while that they might win. If the character has nothing to fight with from the start, the story ends quickly.
Character vs. Self can be a challenge to write, as it explores deep issues of the human psyche and condition, but for that reason it can also be fascinating to read. Do you like this sort of conflict in a story?
January 29, 2018
Head to Head
For the next few weeks, I’m going to do a series of posts on the conflicts that can be found in a narrative. Depending where you look, and whose advice you ask, there’s anywhere from 4-10 types of conflict that can drive a plot. I’m only going to cover six, though. Those being:
Character vs. Character
Character vs. Self
Character vs. Society
Character vs. Nature
Character vs. Fate
Character vs. Machine/Supernatural/Other
Character vs. Character
A protagonist up against an antagonist is the most common conflict you’ll find. The good guy vs. the bad guy. Two different characters who have different visions for the world of your story. There’s lots of ways to play with this, as your hero doesn’t always have to be a hero in the traditional sense and your villain can have redeeming, even sympathetic qualities. In fact, villains are often more well-rounded and better characters when we can understand why they’re opposing the hero. We don’t have to agree with them, or maybe we do, but at least we ‘get it.’
[image error]You can also write evil for the sake of evil, but when writing a villian who is pure evil and simply wants to bring about the downfall of the hero with no ulterior motive except they’re the bad guy, the world building is important. We need to know how this kind of evil came to be in your world, why it exists, and why it’s specifically targeting your hero. I myself and not big fan of evil for the sake of evil, but if it’s set in a suitably entertaining and believable narrative, I’m much more inclined to accept it and even enjoy it. I notice this tends to pop up a lot in horror, sci-fi, and children’s stories, which is an amusing dichotomy in itself. (Although, I personally believe horror is closer to Character vs. Nature as I see monsters as being part of nature, but I’ll discuss this more when I cover that subject.)
Also, a hero who’s good for the sake of good can get preachy and pandering, so you have to be careful. Again, the world and the narrative becomes important if your hero is purely virtuous simply because they’re the good guy. This is why even most superheroes tend to be complex and struggle with their own less-than-perfect character traits. Readers like stories that work in gray areas, because most people are not all good or all bad in real life. We like to see that even the best people are capable of screwing up, just like us.
For Character vs. Character, you need:
A protagonist. Whether or not they’re a “hero” is up to you. This is the person the story focuses on, and the story is about what they want, what they want to accomplish. Ideally, in the end they win, even if it’s at a price. At least some part of the mission they set out on at the beginning of the story is achieved.
An antagonist. Again, this doesn’t necessarily have to be a “villain,” as they may very well be right in their own respect. However, their main purpose through the narrative is to block your protagonist’s efforts. They don’t see things the way your protagonist does and they want to stop them. In the end they lose, at least partially, and things are forever changed in some way.
A conflict. This goes without saying, of course, but the struggle between two people also needs to be believable in the sense of your story. It should be based around their behaviors, the situation they find themselves in, and the reader should never have to stretch really hard to figure out why these two people would be bopping each other over the head. There should also be foreshadowing that these two will clash at some point, and everything will be decided.
And there we have it, our first type of conflict. The most common one, I would argue. What makes a good Character vs. Character conflict for you?
January 26, 2018
It’s not over yet.
I’ve decided to start giving you a thought on Fridays, to bring us into the weekend. It may be deep, it may be silly (more often silly, knowing myself) but feel free to chime in with your own Friday Thoughts!
Friday Thought:
My story arc is not finished yet.
Of course being a writer, I think of my life in terms of a book. I’ve gone through so many “chapters” or phases in my life, it’s sometimes startling to look back on. I’m not the same person now I was ten years ago, or even five. I’m definitely not the person I was twenty years ago. I go through different periods of interests, tastes, and ambitions. I live in different places and know different people. That might sound frantic and unstable, but it’s actually very heartening.
When I get in slump, and things look bleak all around me, I tell myself “this won’t last.” Of course it won’t, because why should I think this is the last chapter of my book? Why should I believe this is where my story arc concludes? The page will eventually turn, and I’ll move on to the next part of the plot.
And so will you.
I guess I got deep on this one!
Sting has a beautiful and amazing song on this theme. Enjoy it as you head into your weekend.
