Megan Morgan's Blog, page 4

It’s An Honor Just To Be Nominated…

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The Evernight Readers’ Choice Awards are on, and I just found out today that not only is Hidden up for Best Suspense, I’m up for FAVORITE AUTHOR! I was hoping just to get nominated for anything at all, but this is amazing! I’m blown away and super grateful to be included amongst such great talents.

So of course, I’m here to pander for votes.

I’m Too Sexy For My…Book?

In the spirit of me trying to jump back into producing blog posts about writing, today I’m going to tackle a subject that one of my readers prompted me with last week. SE White asked in a comment:

I had an interviewer ask me how I decide the amount of sex that goes in a book and that really got my imagination going. How much is too much? Which part is plot? Are we still considered housewife porn or is romance a legit genre now? Does the amount of sexy time change based on the genre you’re writing?

This is a really good series of questions! The answer depends on a lot of things: what you like to write, your publisher, your target audience, and even what’s selling right now.

[image error]Everyone knows there’s a lot of stereotypes surrounding romance novels, even though most of them are incredibly outdated. The idea of every romance novel being vacuous smut, the old school purple prose-laced “bodice ripper,” and the idea that it’s not real writing but simply “porn for women.” Unfortunately, the biggest example the non-romance reading public has to look at is the Fifty Shades series, which isn’t actually romance but erotica (leaning toward erotic romance, but I’ll get to the differences in a moment) so it reinforces the stereotype. There are different levels, and types, of romance. Romance is also a lot more diverse, inclusive, and socially aware these days than the naysayers give it credit for.

Not every romance novel is jam-packed with hot sex. There even exists a genre called Sweet or Clean romance, which includes nothing more racy than kissing. There is Christian and even Amish romance, which of course don’t focus on sex. There are romances that imply sex but it happens off the page and isn’t described. It goes all the way up to erotica, which is the wall-to-wall smut that the layperson thinks of all romance novels as being. Most publishers use a “heat level” system which lets readers know just how much sex is–or isn’t–contained in a book.

Here are some different kinds of romance:

Sweet or Clean romance. As I said above, these books contain no sex and not even the implication of it. They are simply love stories and focus on the building of a relationship. They’re usually pretty wholesome. And have quite a big audience! Which contradicts the idea that “all romance is smut.”
Closed Door/Fade to Black. These are romance novels where sex is implied, but never shown. The characters might start getting hot and heavy but the sex happens off the page. I wouldn’t classify these as “clean” romances though, because there is some sexual focus.
General Romance. This is a broad, broad category. It’s the one I tend to write the most in. Sex happens–and is even described–but it’s not a big ol’ raunch fest start to finish. And there’s a lot of space here for just how much sex is in there and how well detailed it is. Think of how you watch a movie and there’s a sex scene or two in it–that’s where this category falls.
Erotic Romance. I write some in this category too. This is general romance, but there’s more sex, and it’s more focused upon and detailed. The love story is still paramount but we really get more into these character’s sex lives.
Erotica. This is what your average sneering, dismissive critic of romance will think all romance is. This is the smutty, porny, high focus on sex story. However, erotica isn’t just “porn.” You’re not going to get far as an erotica writer if you just write porn. There also has to be a story, and you have to make the reader interested in reading about all the hot sex these two (or more) random people are having. Why should I care? Why should I find it hot? This is a broad category too, which branches out into all sorts of things like BDSM, fetishes, and kink.

So, circling back to the question: how much sex do I put into a book? It depends on the book, and what layer of romance I’m writing. As you can see, there’s a lot of gray area. I’ve never written Sweet Romance, and I’ve only dabbled in Erotica in anthologies. Most of my work falls into that broad swath in between. The best answer I can give is: I let the story dictate it. I don’t sacrifice plot and story to wedge sex in, and similarly, if the characters wanna do it, I let them do it. Then I let the publisher go ahead and decide the heat level.

As for the question “is it a legit genre?” Well, I’ll just let the numbers do the talking.

Thanks for reading my ramble! If you have any writerly subjects you’d like to see my take on in the future, just leave me a comment!

#ECAC19 Tickets Are Now Available

As you might remember, I will be a guest author at the first ever East Coast Author’s Convention held October 4-6 2019. I’m really excited about it! If you’re going, or thinking you might like to attend a fun romance convention, tickets are on sale now. There’s lots of events to attend, some of which are free (but require a ticket to save your spot). I’ll be signing at the book fair in Evernight’s boardroom! Evernight will be hosting several other events that I’ll be a part of as well. You can check the schedule for more info.

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Additionally, there’s a giveaway! You can win 4 free tickets to the book fair held on Saturday, October 5th. Just scroll down here for the Rafflecopter widget!

[image error]And last but not least, a reader’s choice awards is underway for the convention. Even if you’re not attending, you can vote. I’m up for three categories: Best Side Character (Luci Rossi from Boyfriend Material), Best Dark Romance (for Star-Crossed), and Author of the Year. Just an FYI *hinthint*

*blows the dust off this thing*

Dang, I’ve been a terrible blogger, haven’t I? I even missed IWSG for the first time ever this month! Life has been getting in the way of blogging–and writing–and I have so many lovely readers following me that I feel bad about it. I’m glad you’ve stuck around I’m sorry for the lack of content lately. My New Year’s resolution is in part to get back to regular writing and blogging, so I’m starting this week in the hopes that by the time January rolls around I’ll be able to keep the resolution because I’ll already be in practice. Flawless logic, am I right? Start early, keep at it.

I’m going back to updating this blog twice a week, starting this week. It’s going to be a mish-mash of writing articles and stuff about my own life, so buckle your seatbelts. If there’s anything in particular you’d like to see me ramble about, just drop a suggestion in the comments.

Also, Hidden is the cover of The Romance Reviews’ December ezine! You can download it for free by clicking on it there at the link. There’s an article inside with more about the book starting on page 18. How exciting, huh? I’m still doing something!

To finish, here’s a picture of my Christmas tree! If you celebrate Christmas, do you have yours up yet?

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Return on Investment

[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 November 7 posting of the IWSG are Ellen @ The Cynical Sailor, Ann V. Friend, JQ Rose, and Elizabeth Seckman!

November is here! I can’t believe this year is almost over and the holidays are just around the corner. My son’s birthday is also at the end of November so it’s always a jam-packed couple of months for me. The leaves are finally changing in full force here and it FEELS like fall at last. I love fall!

Hmm, what am I insecure about this month?

Not so much insecure as nervous, really–I just sank a lot of promotional and advertising money into my latest release. Mostly, because this is the first time in my official writing career (I realize it’s not even been 4 years since the release of my first book and that boggles my mind–it seems like longer!) that I’ve been in a financial position to do so. I’m not sure what will happen. Maybe it won’t matter a lick and it’ll be wasted money, and I’ll have learned a lesson. I don’t expect to be catapulted into bestseller status or anything, but I’d like to see some return. I guess we’ll see how it turns out!

Plus, I’m terrible at self-promotion and it suits me to pay someone else to do it. Not to mention the people I’m paying have access to promotional avenues that I don’t. At least, at the end of the day, I can feel like I spent my money on something useful instead of buying something frivolous with it.

Halloween Book Blast

Need some spooky reads today? How about some scary deals? You can also win a $25 Amazon gift card!



WELCOME TO THE HALLOWEEN BOOK BLAST!
 





Click on any of the below book covers to be taken to the page that has more information on the novel as well as the Buy Links!








Before you leave, don’t forget to enter the Giveaway!!!


http://bit.ly/2ObHXUt


 

RAFFLECOPTER GIVEAWAY

It’s Release Day!

Happy Halloween! Hidden is now available! AND, if you purchase it on Evernight’s website today, you get both the new release discount AND an additional 25% off with their Halloween sale! At the bottom of the post are the retailers it’s available at–I will update the links as it becomes available elsewhere. Have a spooooky day!

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[image error]Hidden (Fire and Iceland #1)

After a breathtaking journey through Iceland, Vanessa Evanston finishes her dream vacation with her two best friends in the capital city of Reykjavik—and wakes up the next morning on the ground, on a tiny island 250 kilometers north, with no memory of how she got there.

Luckily, handsome and kind-hearted local Gunnar Heimirsson stumbles upon her—unluckily, he can’t explain her mysterious journey either. Nor can anyone explain why Vanessa soon discovers “last night” actually happened a year ago, and everyone thinks she’s dead.

Iceland is known for its folklore, but beyond the elves and mountain trolls, there are other creatures: beautiful, powerful, and vengeful, known as the huldufólk. Gunnar has been alive for a century, trapped by their curse after angering them. From the far flung Westfjords to the black sands of Reynisfjara, the answer to Vanessa’s missing year might be connected to Gunnar’s punishment—as well as his long-lost wife, Hera—but the truth lies somewhere in the realm of magic, myth, and love, and Vanessa has only just discovered fairy tales are real.

Read the first chapter

Available at:
Evernight Publishing | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Smashwords | BookStrand | Kobo | iBooks

Cover Reveal

The cover for my newest book is here! Hidden comes out October 31st, Halloween–perfect for a paranormal romance, am I right?! I’m excited! It’s also my 13th book, so there’s a lot of spooky stuff going on with this release!

Check it out:

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After a breathtaking journey through Iceland, Vanessa Evanston finishes her dream vacation with her two best friends in the capital city of Reykjavik—and wakes up the next morning on the ground, on a tiny island 250 kilometers north, with no memory of how she got there.

Luckily, handsome and kind-hearted local Gunnar Heimirsson stumbles upon her—unluckily, he can’t explain her mysterious journey either. Nor can anyone explain why Vanessa soon discovers “last night” actually happened a year ago, and everyone thinks she’s dead.

Iceland is known for its folklore, but beyond the elves and mountain trolls, there are other creatures: beautiful, powerful, and vengeful, known as the huldufólk. Gunnar has been alive for a century, trapped by their curse after angering them. From the far flung Westfjords to the black sands of Reynisfjara, the answer to Vanessa’s missing year might be connected to Gunnar’s punishment—as well as his long-lost wife, Hera—but the truth lies somewhere in the realm of magic, myth, and love, and Vanessa has only just discovered fairy tales are real.

Coming October 31st from Evernight Publishing

Caption this!

This month is Evernight Publishing’s 8th birthday! To celebrate, they’re playing games and giving away prizes all month and one of the things they’re having is a caption contest–which I’m part of! Hop on over to my caption contest post here (or click on the graphic below) and give my picture a caption for a chance to win a $10 Evernight gift certificate. Best caption gets it. I’ll be giving away the prize on Wednesday, so go have fun!

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It’s spooky season!

[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 October 3 posting of the IWSG are Dolorah @ Book Lover, Christopher D. Votey, Tanya Miranda, and Chemist Ken!

October is here! The spookiest time of the year, if you dig Halloween–which I do! Being mostly a paranormal author I’m always into the scary things, and this time of year is my treat. I’m participating in several Halloween-themed promotions this month but for right now: let the jack o’ lanterns be carved! Let the ghosts rattle their chains! Let the black cats howl!

Speaking of that, I’m going to share a video at the end of the post. I don’t have a lot of insecurities this month that aren’t just me rehashing my same old, same old issues, so I’m going to give you some Halloween yummies instead.

October 3 question – How do major life events affect your writing? Has writing ever helped you through something?

I try to hold on to writing no matter what upheaval affects my life–from the small to the large. Writing keeps me sane. I’ve been through a divorce, moving cities, breakups, job changes, moving house, illnesses, and every life change you can imagine–and still, I write. It’s the one constant. I think without it, I would go insane and not know my identity. Knowing I can always come back to the page makes everything better. Though sometimes it gets hard to write, in the end, I always come back to it. I have to. It’s who I am.

Happy October…and Halloween!