Author Interview – Morgan Amos

I recently posted a Call to Writers, asking those of you who write to allow me to interview you for a guest spot in my blog.  The response was magnificent (and if any of you still want to participate, please contact me for details). I asked thirty-five questions and gave the interviewee the freedom to answer only what they wanted.  My friend and fellow-blogger, Morgan Amos, had some very creative and engaging responses which I’m sure you will find as captivating as I did.  When you’re done reading the interview, please hop on over to Morgan’s blog and make sure you follow her for more entertaining tales.  And now, heeeere’s Morgan…

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ABOUT YOU::

1. Please tell us your name (or pen name) and a little bit about yourself:

My name is Morgan Amos. I am a contributing writer for F.I.N.E. Success Magazine and i.d.e.a.l. Magazine. I write short stories, feature articles for the magazines, and poetry. I also have a blog at www.morganamos.wordpress.com

2. Please provide the link to your blog (and website, Facebook fan page, Twitter, etc.):

The link to my blog is www.morganamos.wordpress.com

3. How many books have you written?

I have written one book.

4. Has any of your work been published yet?  If so, please share the link(s) to purchase it:

Yes, my work has been published and it’s available on CreateSpace.com at https://www.createspace.com/4693718 and

Amazon.com at http://www.amazon.com/From-Killers-Eyes-Morgan-Amos/dp/1496112660/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1398568923&sr=8-1&keywords=Morgan+C+Amos

5. If you have been published, did you self-publish or use traditional publishing?  Why?  If you have not been published yet, what are your plans for the future?

I self-published because seeing that this is my first time publishing I wanted to start small, and have the creative control to write and design the book how I wanted to.

6. How old were you when you started writing?  When did you know you wanted to be an author?

I was eight years old when I started writing. I knew I wanted to be an author when I entered college.

7. What would you say motivates you to keep writing?

What motivates me to keep writing is the passion to tell stories whether it be fictional or with interviewing. The opportunity to share other people’s story and have that impact someone else by me writing the story brings me joy.

8. What is your preferred reading method?  (i.e., Kindle, Nook, paperback, hardback, etc.)  Why?

I prefer to read paperback or hardback. It doesn’t matter. It’s something about having the book or books in your hand that is gratifying to me.

9. Do you “always read” or do you take breaks between reading books? 

It depends on the book for me. If it’s short, I can read it all the way through, but if it’s a book with several chapters, I tend to take breaks.

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ABOUT YOUR CURRENT BOOK::

10. What is the title of your current work in progress of the most recent manuscript you’ve completed? 

The title of my book is From the Killer’s Eyes.

11. What is your novel’s genre?  Would you say there is a sub-genre?  What makes yours different than other books in the same genre?

My novel’s genre is suspense/thriller. It’s a fictional murder mystery. There is no sub-genre, and I think what makes my book different is my characters and my use of imagery throughout my book.

12. What inspired the current or most recent story you’ve completed?

What inspired it is I’ve always been interested in suspenseful type writing and movies, and I wanted to create my book around that.

13. What is your target audience’s age, gender, etc.?

My target audience’s age is 17 and up. Also, anyone who’s interested in suspense/thriller books and my book isn’t gender specific. It’s open to all.

14. Do you want to tell us a little bit about your story?

Sure. The story is based around the small town of Somers located outside the main town of Chesapeake. Detectives Brian Callaghan and Don Sterling are working the recent murder of a victim found lying in her apartment.  They are trying to determine who committed this murder along with three other bodies that have just been found along a ditch in Somers. Their task is can they find the killer before it’s too late or will they be forced to watch as the killings continue.

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ABOUT HOW YOU WRITE::

15. How often do you write?

Practically every day.

16. Do you do your own editing or send it to someone else?

I do my own editing, but I also send my work to someone else.

17. What is your method of writing?  (i.e., Do you write the entire manuscript, then go back and make changes?  Do you plan chapters as you go along or write the story then go back and add chapters?  Do you re-read as you go along or after you are done with the first draft?)

I follow a method of just writing everything out first and getting it on paper. I don’t include any chapters and I do all the editing once the manuscript is complete.

18. Do you have a muse?  If so, please elaborate. If not, what inspires you?

I don’t have a muse, but everything seems to inspire me to write whether it’s a person I meet, a song lyric, a familiar scent, or just thoughts in my head.

19. Do you give yourself a word limit for each day or a time limit to finish your novel?  If so, please elaborate.

I try to write a page each day which I know probably isn’t a lot, but hey it’s a start. LOL.

20. How do you come up with your character names and geographic location / business names?

For From the Killer’s Eyes, I used a lot of my life experiences such as names of street addresses from childhood homes, some of my own personal hobbies or friends of mine hobbies, sayings we may use with one another, and I tried to use catchy character names that could realistically be used as an actual people’s name.

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ABOUT YOUR WORK::

21. If you have written more than one novel, which is your favorite and why?

This is my first published novel. However, I am currently working on a second book.

22. If you could be one of your own characters for a day, who would it be and why?

There’s a part of me in all of my characters, but if I had to choose, I would be Katie because a lot of what she goes through in the book mirrors my life in a way.

23. If one of your books became a movie, who would you choose for the “perfect cast” of main characters?

That’s an interesting one. First off, if my book ever became a movie I’d be beyond thrilled. But, I can’t say who I would choose.

I’d just like to add a big thank you to Rachel Carrera for giving me the opportunity to share my work with everyone.

Blessings,

M

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Thank you, Morgan, for allowing me to interview you.  I hope everyone else has enjoyed learning about you and your work as much as I have.  Best wishes for your writing success!

~Rachel