Author Interview: Jay Morgan

Today I get to introduce you to Jay Morgan. Jay is a talented writer whose gets to vent his hysterical, and quirky, personality through his books. Not a dull moment! This is Jay's first visit to my blog, so let me start off by saying, "Welcome!"

SW: Would you please tell us a little about yourself?

JM: I started life as a boy, grew into a man and married a wonderful woman who turned me into a Romance novelist. I guess that's the short version. The longer is I'm from a small town in Northern Louisiana and pretty much never left. I have, as said, an amazing wife who is also an author with several books under her belt. Jenna Leigh, in case anyone was wondering. We just became honeymooners again, as our daughter is now off in college. Aside from that, we are the proud property of a Chihuahua named Paco and a cat overlord named Mr. Bean. Everything else is subject to change depending on the whims of the cat overlord.

SW: Hey, I have a Chihuahua! Love little dogs.
When did you first become interested in writing, Jay?

JM: I'm never really sure what to say to this question. So, I'll go with the truth. Always! I became a writer to stay sane and have failed miserably. When you're born with all these voices—uh I mean stories—floating around in your head, you need an outlet to get them out. It was either writing or well I'm really not sure what else.

SW: Writing as a coping mechanism, I've heard of that before. Maybe most of us writers are a little bit looney. What genre do you prefer writing/reading? And why does this genre appeal to you?

JM: That's a toss-up between comedy and paranormal but I've seemed to have melded them together so I didn't have to choose. Why do they appeal to me? Because I love to make people laugh and laughing at scary stuff like vampires, werewolves and ghosts was my coping mechanism growing up. Let's not forget bullies and maiden aunt's who popped their false teeth out to kiss you. Shiver! But seriously, the world is so full of real pain and horrors, I hope that for however long it takes someone to read one of my books, the reader can escape from all that reality and enjoy themselves. If I succeed in doing that, I'm content.

SW: Can you tell us a little about the ups and downs on your journey to publication?

JM: I don't think there's enough room in here to go into it. I will give this piece of advice to anyone reading this. Never let someone else take your dream away. If being a writer is what you want, you keep writing. I don't care how many times, a submission comes back or life throws an anvil on your head, the minute you toss your first word on a screen, you're a writer. You just need to have enough faith in yourself, to wait until your time comes. Because it will. I promise.

SW: How do you approach a new project? Do you research and plot before you write? Or do you have a general idea and just go to it and see where it leads?

JM: To be honest, I just start writing. A line gets stuck in my head and I run with it. Both Love at First Stake and Were Love Blooms started that way. When they became series, that approach changed. Love Bites became a big picture project. I wanted each book to be stand alone but contain elements that would drive the underlying plot of the series further, so now me—a total panster—found myself actually plotting. Sure before I knew my Point A and my Point E but now I had to look down the line to point Z. I even found myself researching. Ick! Okay, I need to lie down after saying that.

SW: You're funny! Tell us about your latest release in the Love Bites series?

JM: The next book is Love Free Stake Hard. To me it is my favorite. Well, until the next one of course. Love Free follows the adventures of Demetrious de Mecini, introduced in Love at First Stake and Dela McNamara, a cemetery tour guide who gets drawn into Deme's world. They find themselves on the run from a trio of hit women, inquisitional monks and a conspiracy that threatens to tear apart the Slayer/Vampire alliance. That's about all I can say without giving away too much.

SW: What inspired you to write this series, and tell us about your other series too?

JM: Man, I wish I knew. It just kinda popped into my head. The Southern Werewolf books happened the same way. I had this stray thought about a werewolf moaning about shaving her legs and the next thing I knew I had four chapters written. The rest came from me wanting to write a series based in the South, with characters true to the people I grew up around. Because, believe me Southerners are this funny all the time. What's the word I'm looking for? Yeah, eccentric. We're eccentric and I'm leaving it at that.

SW: I can attest to that be the absolute doggone truth! Can you give us a little history on the characters, including how you developed them , and what endears them to you?

JM: This is a not so well kept secret, but my friends are my characters. I love to base them on the people I love, and that helps them come to life for me writing them as I hope they do for the people reading them.

SW: I wanna be in a book! Can I be your friend? What do you hope to be able to accomplish through your writing? Any long term goals?

JM: Make people happy. That's my long term goal.

SW: Any ideas for future projects?

JM: Tons of them. I just need to find the time to start working on them.

SW: Any other hobbies or interests to share?

JM: Who has time for hobbies? I'm too busy writing.

SW: Other than your book, do you have any recommendations you'd like to pass along?

JM:Anything from Desert Breeze Publishing of course. Seriously, we've got one of the best group of authors around. And there's something for everybody, so you just can't miss.

Jay, thanks so much! Best of luck to you on your books. I have two on my Kindle. My problem at the moment is that I have more books than time, but I know I'm going to love them.
God bless!

For more about Jay Morgan and his books here's his website.
His next book in the Love Bites series will be available June 1st, but here are links to purchase his previous books in the series if you want to play catch up before the new one comes out. Love at Fist Stake and Love to Stake Another Day.

I tried to think of something werewolf, or vampire related as a giveaway, but my brain is blank, so I decided to give away a pair of bronze colored, fresh water pearl earrings on silver hookwires instead. I don't have a picture b/c I haven't made them yet, but I promise they'll be pretty. Just leave a comment with your email to enter. If you leave a comment with an idea of how to tie the earrings to the themes of Jay's two series, Love Bites or Southern Werewolf, I'll enter you twice.
Happy reading!