Morgan Does Morgan...What??

This is the part of the Diaries where we self gratify ourselves. Wait a minute! I don’t think that’s what I mean. You know? Where we talk about ourselves and force you to listen. Yeah that’s what I mean but it didn’t come out right either. Just forget it. This intro is stupid so feel free to ignore it and get on with the good stuff down below.

Today, on the eve of her new release, Halo In Her Pocket, I thought it was high time we got to know the O part of this pair. Man, that would make this the Story of O with a whole lot of Morgan thrown in. So prepare yourselves as the Diaries go Morgan on Morgan. Don’t you love how I made all this sound dirty without meaning to. Well maybe I did a little.

Jmo: So, Morgan O, aside from the naked cover models what inspired you to become a Romance author?

Morgan O: An absent (due to job - he was in Alaska and I was in Colorado with the teen) husband and an over active imagination. Also, too many years of saying, "I can write better than that!" Little did I know just how hard it is to write better than “that.”

Jmo: After reading Halo, I fell in love with the Alaskan setting. You described it so well, I felt like I was there. Did setting the book in a place you were familiar with make it easier to get into the story while writing it? Or did the tourism board give you a kickback for doing it in Alaska?

Morgan O: The setting is from my own experience. The house in the book was one where I used to babysit and I loved that house. So it only seemed fitting to immortalize it in one of my books. Besides, what's more mysterious than playing under the Midnight Sun?

Jmo: What gave you the idea for the T-shirt angle for the story?

Morgan O: My teenager asked me for some t-shirts and passed me a couple website links. I got caught up in looking at them and suddenly, the idea just popped into my head. What better way to play with some of the more notable ones? Research was a blast!

Jmo: Do you have a room at the top of the stairs we should know about? More importantly is DH locked in there and should we call for medical assistance?

Morgan O: No, no locked rooms. Vaulted ceilings make that a little tough. DH is in fine form and out doing his Daddly duty at the moment, picking up the child and ice cream.

Jmo: There were a wealth of minor characters in the book. Can we hope for a story for buttinsky best friend, Ginger? Hint! Hint!

Morgan O: Ooh, I hadn't thought of that. Maybe Ginger does deserve her own book... I'll have to think of what trouble she can get into during the Winter solstice... a condo at Alyeska, a ski patrol hottie, a hot tub... oh yeah, that could be the ticket. Thanks!

Jmo: On a serious note, I loved the fact the story was about Devyn’s empowerment and coming into her own as a person and a woman. As a woman and a writer do you feel it is important to give female readers something positive to take out of your books along with the romance?

Morgan O: As a woman who didn't gain a sense of personal power until I hit my forties, I'd love to see younger women find themselves sooner. Too often do they rush into relationships and find themselves tied down with babies. I wish I'd been able to control that nesting instinct just a little longer and had enough awareness to make the most of the situations I found myself in. I look back now and wonder if I hadn't been so naive, what wonderful things might I have experienced? Too often I took the easy route and ended up with a very predictable life, one I'm changing the rules on right now. Don't get me wrong, I love my husband and my son, but there's that little voice inside that says, what if... So now I write and explore that little question in my own little way.

Jmo: Since becoming a professional writer, what has been the greatest impact on you personally?

Morgan O: Wow. The impact on my time is significant. I spend 99% of it at my computer. Sometimes this annoys the males.

On the upside, I've met some really fabulous people (yes, Jmo is fabulous but don’t tell him I said that!), both live and on the internet and for once, I can let loose my creative streak without making a mess, unlike sewing or scrapbooking. Oh, and housekeeping has most definitely taken a lower priority. A way lower priority. As in I'm lucky if the house get vacuumed once a... Well, that's too embarrassing.

Jmo: If you could give one piece of advice to all those authors out there who haven’t yet attained the grand goal of being published, what would it be?

Morgan O: Advice to authors - get in a good critique group. A partner is good, a group is better. The more opinions you have, the better rounded your work will become. And LISTEN to what they have to say. You may not be able to use all their wisdom, nor should you, but you can learn from their words. Also, remember this, until you are selling as many books as Nora, you are NOT a diva and your publishing house CAN live without you. Be kind, courteous, and respectful to everyone you meet because your bad behavior will follow you.

Jmo: To completely Morganize this love fest, what juicy things can we look forward to from the great and powerful Morgan O?

Morgan O: I love how you suck up. Coming in January, my first sci-fi, futuristic paranormal, Frozen, will be available. I wrote it in a fit of pique about living in Alaska again so it has a touch of snark. Then come next May, the books closest to my heart, The Rich Series, will begin with A Rich Investment. Sexy and dangerous, the series is contemporary and set in Seattle and the San Francisco Bay Area. That one will be lots of fun for readers. I hope they're as entranced as I am.

Jmo: I would like to thank Morgan O for taking the time to sit down and talk with me today. No Morgan’s were harmed in the making of this interview, but several Oreos were mercilessly drowned and eaten.

Morgan O: Thank you for the chance to bare my soul to the world. I hope they find it more attractive than me baring... um, *ahem* nevermind. We won’t go there... yet.

http://morganqoreilly.com