Megan Morgan's Blog, page 29
March 13, 2017
Our Favorite Toys
I was trying to come up with a topic for today’s post, and as I sometimes do, I asked my cat what I should write about. As she always does when I ask her what I should write about, she said “me.” Well, maybe it was closer to me-ow, but I got the point. So, why not?
My cat has a flippin’ lot of toys:
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Sorry, I don’t have enough to share…
I say this as though she went out and spent her own money on an exorbitant amount of cat toys. No, I bought them for her, because I spoil her. She also gets a Kitnip Box every month, adding to her collection. My son is an adult now but my apartment sometimes looks like I have a toddler because of the toys everywhere.
The thing is, as many toys as she has, a few are her favorites. Whenever she wants to play she almost always picks the same ball or plushie, and she loves to maul anything with feathers attached to it. My son sometimes engages her with the lesser-played with toys, but she always ends up going back to her favorites. I’m sure they smell like her and she finds them the most interesting and entertaining.
As writers, we have our favorite ‘toys.’ That is, plots we love to write variations of, character types we enjoy working with, and formulas we feel comfortable sketching out. Also, the genres we tend to work in. Even with a huge box of ideas to choose from, we pick our favorites. Sometimes we try out a new idea, or something we don’t usually toss around, but it’s not always as rewarding to play with as the one that squeaks, or the one that rattles, or the super squishy one that’s fun to chew on.
Is this a bad thing? No, not at all. Many authors are known for the plots and types of characters they write. Some authors even bank hugely on the fact that their readers fully and eagerly expect them to bring the same toy to play with, if in slightly different colors with different jingles and whistles on it. They want the same plot and formula, and the author knows how to build it, twist it around a bit so it’s not identical every single time, and keep readers coming back for more.
We feel comfortable with the things we like to write, the things we’re good at writing, the things we understand in our heart and can turn into stories. It’s okay to think outside the toybox too, and find something new to play with from time to time. And what if all the toys are your favorite? That’s okay too. Have a blast!
But if you just like the one with feathers, pounce on it!
Filed under: Monday Blogs Tagged: cats, creativity, funny, pictures, writing
March 10, 2017
Guest Post
Instead of talking about myself on here, I’m doing a guest post over on Juneta Key’s blog today, discussing my writer’s journey, self-publishing vs. traditional publishing, and my Siren Song series. Stop by and say hello!
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Filed under: Uncategorized Tagged: appearances, blogging
March 8, 2017
Ghost Touch by LA Dragoni
Today I’m hosting LA Dragoni and her paranormal romance, Ghost Touch. LA is giving away a $15 Amazon/B&N gift card. So make sure to comment, check out the other stops on the tour, and enter the Rafflecopter giveaway!
Enter to win a $15 Amazon/B&N gift card
Leave a comment and check out the other stops on the tour for more chances to win!
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For fifteen minutes each night a portal opens in Tamara’s barn and a horde of ghosts spills into her yard. She and Dex work together to find a way to help Cal and the thousands of spirits stuck in the void to cross over. When she learns she has the ghost touch—the ability to touch the ghosts as if they were corporeal—and she accidentally helps a little boy cross, she believes it might be possible. But not all the spirits play nice and when they learn they can sip energy from her ghost touch, they become greedy putting her life at risk.
Each time Cal has to pull her from the mass of ghosts, her touch restores him more and more until he is at danger of being stuck on earth—forever, which is very enticing to Tamara the better she knows him. Will she and Dex figure out how to help the spirits cross and if they do, will she be able to let Cal go?
EXCERPT:
“Dex!” she shouted again, leaping forward and running toward the door. A stabbing pain of cold sliced through her upper arm when she knocked against the ghost with the shovel in his hand. He stopped to stare at her with a surprised expression on his face. She pushed forward, ignoring the increasing pain as she jostled up against the ghosts.
A knot of ghosts hunkered together where she last saw Dexter. She pushed through them, her warm touch surprising enough to make them jump back. Dex lay crumpled in a quivering ball at the center of the group. Tamara kneeled beside him and clutched his shoulders.
“Dex! Are you okay?” He didn’t respond, just rocked to and fro, mumbling incoherent words. She shouted. “Dex! Can you hear me?”
His gaze finally lifted, a wary look colored with terror.
“Oh my God.” Tamara wrapped her arms around him. His body was ice cold. She pressed as much of herself against him as she could and buried her face in his hair. “I gotcha. You’ll be okay.”
Then she became aware of an ache worming through her muscles and realized hands pawed at her, clutched her, and were trying to pull her away. She raised a furious glare at the eager crowd of ghouls and snarled. “Stop! Leave us alone.”
However, hunger showed in the eyes of those who’d been dead a short enough time to still have them. Actions became more insistent and then combative. The group shoved and swayed until she worried she’d be crushed beneath them when they fell. She kept her arms wrapped around Dex, hoping to keep the spirits off him, but many simply reached through him to get to her. He shuddered violently and had grown quiet.
Each individual touch drained her of warmth and energy, yet they continued to grope at her arms and back, tug on her hair and clothing. She grew weaker and weaker until the edges of her vision dimmed and she could barely feel the boy she was trying to protect.
BUY LINKS:
Amazon: http://amzn.to/1G7ZpC4
Print: https://www.amazon.com/dp/152052157X?ref_=pe_870760_150889320
B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/ghost-touch-la-dragoni/1122871133
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/ghost-touch-2
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1053760714
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
[image error]LA Dragoni isn’t too particular about who falls in love or where they fall in love. She simply considers it her job to capture the story about their love. Whether it’s paranormal, mythical, or time travel, LA will be there to divine their story for you. She lives in Central Oregon with her husband and children, but haunts ghost towns and cemeteries up and down the west, in search of the next adventure to sift through her storytelling brain.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ladragoni
Twitter: https://twitter.com/LA_Dragoni
Mailing List: http://eepurl.com/czuyuP
Enter to win a $15 Amazon/B&N gift card
Leave a comment and visit the other stops on the tour for more chances to win!
Filed under: Giveaways, Guest Posts Tagged: books, guests, paranormal, romance
March 6, 2017
Never Say Never
I’ve been writing for a lot of years. Way, way too many years (I’m old, folks). Sometimes it’s funny to look back on those years and reflect on the attitudes or ideas I had at any given time, and how that directed my work. I believe when you write, and stick to writing for a long time or maybe even your entire life, you’re always growing, learning, and evolving. New attitudes and ideas come along, your skills grow, and you try more new things than you ever imagined you would. It makes sense, because there’s very few creative and artistic people who stay stuck on one theme forever. You expand. You branch out. You give your ‘nevers’ a try.
[image error]I’ve had a lot of ‘nevers’ through the years. Things I said I would NEVER do. Things I would NEVER write, or try, or dabble in, or accomplish. Here’s a few of those things I said I would never do and then did them anyway:
Let’s get the obvious out of the way first. Many times I said I would NEVER get published. Oh, how I languished, and despaired, and felt inadequate and overlooked. I’d never have a book published. No editor would ever want me. No one would ever read my brilliant masterpieces which were actually awful at the time. Well, check out the sidebar of my blog now.
I said I would NEVER write romance. This was back when I was younger and trying to be a horror author. Like way too many people, I dismissed romance as fluffy, silly writing that ‘wasn’t real,’ and was just trash and drivel. Never mind it’s the biggest-selling genre in books since…the dawn of time, possibly. I was young and full of myself and never seemed to realize I was constantly writing romance into my stories anyway.
At one point in my life I went through an intensely spiritual, religious phase and swore I would NEVER write horror again because it clashed with my moral point of view. I tried switching to sci-fi during this time and I was really, really bad at it. I don’t know what was going on with me, but eventually I moved on, or outgrew it, and got back to writing about vampires.
Hilariously, the Insecure Writer’s Support Group question for this month was about whether or not you’d ever gone back and rewritten an old piece of work. I said I hadn’t, and swore I NEVER would because I feel that looking forward is the best direction. Well, guess what I’m doing right this very moment? Revising an old story for an anthology call. D’oh!
NEVER is a block, a wall, a stone in the road that trips you up. It keeps doors closed and opportunities undiscovered. I’ve found that just because I have a writing ‘never’ today, it might be quite flexible tomorrow. And since I know I tend to dispose of those nevers eventually, I’m trying hard not to create them in the first place anymore.
What about you? What NEVER have you kicked aside and done anyway?
Filed under: About Me, Monday Blogs Tagged: advice, creativity, me, romance, writing
March 3, 2017
The Gang’s All Here
For most of the first part of this week, I was down with the flu. Ick. I always seem to fall prey to the flu or a cold in late February/early March. I don’t know why, it’s a strange cycle for me. Even if I do my best to avoid sick people during that time frame, it finds me. Anyway, being sick meant lots of down time, and I thought to myself since being sick frees you of all obligations, maybe I’d get some writing done. Ha!
[image error]Instead, I binge-watched the first two seasons of Shameless on Netflix. If you’re unfamiliar with the show, it’s a dark comedy about a seasoned, neglectful (and wholly irredeemable) alcoholic and his six children (ranging in ages from 21 to 2) who are left to fend for themselves since he and his ex-wife have essentially abandoned them. The oldest, 21 year-old Fiona, becomes her siblings’ surrogate mother and fights hard to make ends meet and keep them from ending up in the foster system. And the show is, in a word, hypnotic. It’s also very, very adult, if you’re considering watching it, so be warned!
The thing is, I LOVE ensemble casts. Whether it’s in TV, movies, or books, I like a big, robust roster of characters who interact with each other but also have their own storylines. From the Lord of the Rings trilogy, to Anne Rice’s Vampire Chronicles, to heck, Star Trek, I love a world populated with fleshed-out characters, not just background and side characters. My own Siren Song series is pretty much an ensemble cast, but I wish I had written it in third person omniscient, so I could have followed the lives of some of the other characters more closely. Who knows, maybe someday I’ll re-write it that way.
That’s not to say I don’t like stories that focus more tightly on just several characters, because I do. But a huge cast of characters feels like I get more bang for my buck, that I get many stories instead of just one.
How about you? Do you like lots of characters with lots of stories, or would you rather write/read a more tightly-focused character study?
Have a great weekend!
Filed under: Behind The Scenes Tagged: me, writing
March 1, 2017
The Thrill Is Gone
[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 March 1 posting of the IWSG will be Tamara Narayan, Patsy Collins, M.J. Fifield, and Nicohle Christopherson!
My insecurity this month revolves around the fact that the second novel in my Kentucky Haints series, White Witch Magic, came out on February 21st. Well, I’m not insecure about that actually, that was pretty awesome, and it’s gotten some nice reviews and generally been well-received.
The thing is, I wrote the first and second book one right after another, a couple years ago. The story arc definitely needs a trilogy to be complete and wrap up the loose ends I left hanging at the end of the second book. I even know how I want to tie those ends up. However, I’ve written about a chapter of the third book so far and I’m feeling kinda bleh about the whole thing, just wanting to move on to something else.
I feel like if I put myself to the task I can probably complete the third book and wrap it up nicely. But I’m also wishing I wrote it when I wrote the other two, before the fire dwindled and my passion for the story dampened. Ugh. Have you ever found yourself in this situation? What did you do? Maybe simply working on the book will bring back my interest in the series. Goodness knows when I put my fingers to the keyboard and write, instead of procrastinating and whining, magical things happen.
March 1 Question: Have you ever pulled out a really old story and reworked it? Did it work out?
One thing I’ve learned for myself is to let sleeping dogs lie. I’ve tried to reawaken stories a couple times and discovered that if I had really wanted the story to come to fruition, I would have completed it and made more of it at the time. Not to mention the further back in my writing I go, the worse it is and the more work it needs to be brought up to my current self-standards.
However, I have taken scenes from scrapped stories, reworked them, and put them into new stories. It’s a very patchwork quilt method of writing. That’s why we keep a scrap box!
Filed under: IWSG, Kentucky Haints, White Witch Magic Tagged: blog hop, creativity, insecure writer's support group, inspiration, writing
February 27, 2017
Run To Her by Lynn Kellan
Today I’m hosting Lynn Kellan and her contemporary romance, Run To Her. Lynn is giving away a $50 Amazon/B&N gift card. So make sure to comment, check out the other stops on the tour, and enter the Rafflecopter giveaway! Lynn is also here today to give us an interview!
Enter to win a $50 Amazon/B&N gift card
Leave a comment and check out the other stops on the tour for more chances to win!
INTERVIEW WITH LYNN KELLAN
What would we find under your bed?
You’d find quilts under my bed. One quilt was made by my husband’s grandmother. She grew up on a farm and she used the fabric from feedbags to piece together quilts, clothing, and whatever she needed. It’s fascinating to look at the brightly colored fabric she used. Another quilt you’d find under my bed was made by my bridesmaid, who is a doctor. She made the quilt for our wedding gift, and she tied every knot the same way a surgeon ties knots when stitching up a patient after surgery. The third quilt is one I made soon after my wedding. It’s a very simple pattern, but the blocks of red, white, and mauve contain many memories. Piecing together a quilt taught me that in order to complete a complex task, you must break it down into small pieces.
What was the scariest moment of your life?
When I learned I was pregnant! My husband is 6’5” tall, and I had a feeling our baby would be huge. I was right. My daughter ended up being over 10 pounds at birth and required an emergency c-section. After my ob/gyn met my huge husband, she suggested we schedule a c-section for my second daughter. Good thing we did, because she was a big baby, too. I shudder to think of how large a son would’ve been. Probably close to 13 pounds. Eesh!
Do you listen to music while writing? If so what?
It depends. I try not to listen to music because the lyrics distract me. However, when I need to set a mood in a scene, I do turn to music to get me in the right frame of mind. When I do listen to tunes, I stick to instrumental pieces or songs that are sung in Italian. I don’t speak Italian, so Italian lyrics can’t distract me. I favor songs sung by Josh Groban. He sings a surprising amount of lyrics in Italian, and his pieces always have a soulful, yearning feel that I strive to imbue into my writing.
What is something you’d like to accomplish in your writing career next year?
In 2017, I hope to release books 2 and 3 in The Brothers Series. RUN TO HER is the first book in the series, and it focuses on Gabe, the oldest brother in the Antonov family.
Book 2 is TURN TO HER, and focuses on Ivan, who is a brilliant graduate student with a past that threatens to dismantle his future. He can leave those bad memories behind once he graduates, but walking away from campus means he’ll also walk away from his gorgeous neighbor, who is a psychologist – and the one person who is sharp enough to discover his painful secret.
Book 3 is called PROMISED TO HER. This story is about Victor, who is a former Marine struggling to adapt to civilian life. His “normal” life skids off the road when his car is slammed into a ditch. He doesn’t know if the crash was an accident…or attempted murder. Soon afterward, his restaurant burns down. Now he’s maimed, pissed off, and determined to discover the cause of these “accidents.” He agrees to work on a farm to buy himself some time, but finds himself elbow-deep in lust for the pretty woman who owns the farm. If another “accident” hurts her, he’ll never be able to forgive himself.
How long did it take you to write this book?
RUN TO HER took 2 years to write. Initially, it was an erotic contemporary. Sex plays an important role in Gabe and Leigh’s growth, and there was a TON of sex scenes in the first draft. There was also a secondary plot line in the story that included Gabe’s ex-girlfriend and Leigh’s ex-boyfriend. Many of my writer friends suggested that the story would flow better with the “exes,” so I recrafted the book and set aside the secondary plot line. I’m glad I did. The romance between Gabe and Leigh takes center stage, and I got to know them very well through all of my rewrites. I hope you like them, too.
Thanks for the interview, Lynn!
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She avoids men like him. He needs a woman like her. One lie changes everything…
Gabriel Antonov is a mechanic who can fix anything, even a woman’s hesitance. His talents have earned him the well-deserved reputation as a player, but when a routine one-night stand goes wrong, he’s haunted by what he’s done. Nothing can free him from those depraved memories, until he meets Leigh Nelson.
Leigh avoids strong, silent types like Gabe, who is stronger and quieter than most guys. The only man she’s focused on is her father, who is suffering from a devastating health crisis. She’ll do anything to help him, even at the cost of ignoring her own well-being, but the stress is getting to her. Gabe’s strength is tough to resist, and his silence might be hiding a crushing secret only she can understand.
He can’t outrun his gut-deep craving for her. Problem is, she’s running from him. When they’re marooned in his lakeside cabin, he might finally catch her…if he can admit why he’s falling apart without her.
EXCERPT:
A fat raindrop splattered on the porch screen. And another. Tiny fragments of water landed on Leigh’s shoulder like little kisses. A shiver trickled across her back, forcing her to step toward the center of the porch to avoid getting wet.
The carefree humor fled from his expression. His gaze dropped to the tips of her toes and slowly rose up her legs, her body, her face. Gabe locked eyes with her, reached out, and opened his hand.
An invitation.
She gazed at his broad palm and dark memories rose, fueled by a violent incident that flashed through her mind whenever a big man got close…but this man was different. Gabe used his considerable strength to protect, not dominate. Months ago, he’d pulled off the Interstate to help her when no one else had. After that, he’d showed up to run with her when no one else would. And a few minutes ago, he’d tamed his powerful Harley so she’d enjoy the ride when no one else seemed to care if she had any fun. Even tiny things like ladybugs received his special brand of kindness.
She had no reason to believe Gabe would willfully hurt her. Even so, her heart tripped at the sight of the thick rope of muscle along his arm.
BUY LINKS (currently on sale for 2.99):
Amazon: http://amzn.to/2gFuHec
Smashwords: http://bit.ly/2fL6oXQ
iBooks: http://apple.co/2gP8UB7
Kobo: http://bit.ly/2g1AEkK
Goodreads: http://bit.ly/2gQZkuK
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
[image error]Lynn Kellan writes contemporary romance about strong men who have a weakness for smart women. She believes men and women aren’t that different, because everyone wants to be with someone who will empty the dishwasher. To prepare for her career as a romance author, she fell in love with bad boys, burly athletes, battle-hardened Marines…and married a chemist. Lynn has won numerous writing contests and served two terms as President of her local Romance Writers of America chapter, but she feels a true sense of accomplishment whenever she doesn’t embarrass her teenaged kids.
For love. For funny. For ever.
Find Lynn at: http://LynnKellan.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/LynnKellan
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LynnKellan.Author
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/LynnKellan/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ey_aNwYAAp0
Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/E4qxL
Enter to win a $50 Amazon/B&N gift card
Leave a comment and visit the other stops on the tour for more chances to win!
Filed under: Giveaways, Guest Posts Tagged: books, guests, romance
February 24, 2017
A Wild Week
Apologies for the lack of meaty posts on the blog this week. White Witch Magic came out this past Tuesday and I’ve been wrapped up in new release stuff and promotion. I promise next week it will be back to your regularly scheduled blogging, starting with a guest tour and giveaway! Until Monday…
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Filed under: Behind The Scenes Tagged: funny, information
February 21, 2017
It’s Release Day!
Get your hands on the first book in the series, Black Mountain Magic, right now for just 99 cents!
[image error]White Witch Magic – Kentucky Haints #2
We need peace in the valley, y’all.
City girl and unpracticed witch Lorena Mills never dreamed she’d be living in a small Appalachian town in the backwoods of Kentucky, but here she is. Mated to a handsome, brash, and sometimes aggravating Lycan named Deacon Kelley, she’s slowly becoming a better witch and more of a backwoods kind of gal.
Lorena’s job in the town of Blue Ditch is to study the creatures known as Wolvites—once thought to be feral, mindless beasts, now known to have human forms—in an effort to advance science and magic. However, when Lorena is kidnapped by the nefarious witch Neala, who once tried to destroy Deacon’s family, she discovers she doesn’t know nearly enough about either subject. Neala wants Lorena to cure her Wolvite mate Dafydd of a quick-killing virus that is ravaging their species: except, there is no cure. Lorena has to find one, and fast, or the Wolvites will slaughter Deacon’s family.
Forced to work with the Wolvites, Lorena learns about their culture and gains sympathy for them, thanks to a kinder, gentler, diplomatic Wolvite named Kendrick who would like to see an end to the violence. Lorena would love to facilitate peace between the Wolvites and Lycans, but is such a thing even possible?
If she wants to keep Deacon—and his family, and the entire town of Blue Ditch—safe, she’s going to have to find a way. Good thing her powers may be stronger than she ever imagined…
Read the first chapter
Purchase it at:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Smashwords | iBooks | Paperback
Filed under: Black Mountain Magic, Kentucky Haints, Publications, White Witch Magic, Works Tagged: books, paperback, paranormal, release date, romance
February 20, 2017
The Joy In Doing
I’ve discovered lately, and maybe you already know this as a writer, that when you actually make yourself focus and write, the more you can write, and sometimes even much more than you expected to. For example:
[image error]I’m an ultra-procrastinator. I have writing projects to work on, I really do want to work on them, I have time to work on them, but when it comes to actually sitting down and getting the work done, it’s a big old groaaaan. I can find a million ways to distract myself: internet, TV, reading pointless things, doing chores. I like to write, I want to write, but that also means putting the work in, and that doesn’t seem like much fun.
But, with a lot of griping and grumbling, I finally make myself do it. I give myself a small word count to reach and tell myself if I get to that I can consider it an accomplishment. And you know what happens, very often? Once I start writing, I don’t usually stop at that small number. The words start flowing, the ideas start coming, and before I know it, I’m writing. The kind of good, happy writing that makes me feel satisfied when I’m finished with it. The other day I told myself I’d just hammer out 1,000 words and I ended up writing over 6,000! My hands were actually sore and that’s why I stopped. That doesn’t happen every day, of course, and I don’t always have time for that much work, but it just goes to show when I actually put the effort in it quickly becomes enjoyable and easy.
Sometimes it’s just about getting over that initial block and reluctance. It’s amazing how much you can accomplish after you didn’t want to start to begin with. The story is in there, if you’re willing to put the time in to follow it. It’s another one of those writing mysteries.
For example, I put off working on this blog post for a few hours, and now it’s finished. Score!
Filed under: Monday Blogs Tagged: creativity, inspiration, writing
