A FEW MOMENTS WITH:

Morgan J. Blake

From The Words and Works of Tom E. Sechrist, Jr
December Newsletter

Morgan J. Blake is an award-winning author. Her novel, “Redemption” took Best Western Novel honors at the 2001 Clara Awards. “Redemption” is due to be released by Atlantic Bridge Publishing in December 2001.

Other titles from this very talented writer include “The Canyon Lands”, due for release by Novel Books, Inc on August 12, 2002, and an ongoing work entitled “Vengeance”.

TS: How long have you been writing?
MJB: Well, if you count the little books I wrote by flashlight after I was supposed to be in bed, I began writing at age five. I tried my hand at my first “novel” – which actually turned out to be a long short story -- when I was 12. By the time I hit high school, I knew that writing was going to be a major part of my life.

TS: What inspired you to begin writing?
MJB: I guess writing was always in my blood. At least I always had a very active imagination. I loved to pretend I was someone else, doing exotic, exciting things. But what really got me serious about it was seeing one of my friends in 7th grade writing a novel. I thought to myself that if she could do it, so could I. So I tried my hand at a murder mystery.

TS: Tell me a little bit about your writing. I noticed from your website that you write in the western genre. What about this genre appeals to you enough to write in it?
MJB: I was the typical kid – loved horses! I grew up reading books like The Black Stallion, and when I outgrew those, I went in search of other “horse” stories to read. I had two older brothers who were both very outdoorsy types, and they both read a lot of Louis L'Amour. One afternoon, when I'd finished a book and needed a new one to read, I swiped one of my brothers' westerns. I can't recall now which book it was, but I enjoyed it so much, I borrowed another. Through junior high, high school, and all the way through my college years, if I was reading a book for pleasure, it was a western. When I got into my college writing courses, I tried to write the very literary fiction that my classmates were doing, and I was miserable. So for the final class assignment of my freshman year fiction class, I decided to turn in something that I would enjoy reading. That's where Redemption was born. It was a hit with the class.

TS: Do you, or have you, written in any other genres and if so, what can you tell us about them?
MJB: My second novel, The Canyon Lands, is written in a western formula, but has a very strong subplot of romance in it. In fact, all of my books have at least some romantic plotlines in them. My only recent, and serious, piece of writing that wasn't western in nature, was a romantic short story set in present day small-town America. I might like to try writing a suspense novel at some point, but for now, I've got more westerns that are begging to be written.

TS: What is your motivation? What stirs the “urge” to write?
MJB: Sanity. I'm a single mom of a 3 year old. I love my son dearly, but the time that I spend writing is about the only time I can truly call my own. I write after my son is in bed each night. It allows me to escape from all the trials of my day, spend time creating scenes and characters who will act just the way I want them to, and by the time I go to bed, sleep all night, and wake again, I feel recharged and ready to face a new day.

TS: Do you ever suffer from “writer's block” and if you do, what do you find usually helps to break it?
MJB: I think any writer who is serious about the craft experiences writer's block at some point. When it happens to me, I try to analyze why I'm blocked to begin with. If it's because of situations in my personal life that are keeping my attention focused elsewhere, I hope and pray for a quick resolution to those situations. If the block is purely story-related, I usually try to either jot notes on where I think the story needs to go next, or I talk with some of my “readers” – a group of several friends who act as my critique group – for advice on where they see the story going. Sometimes it takes getting those outside opinions in order to put your story back in focus. At least that's how it works for me.

TS: How did it feel to win “Best Western Novel” honors at this year's Clara Awards?
MJB: I was shocked! I have had people tell me that they think my writing is excellent, that it gives them goosebumps, or that they can really feel what the characters are feeling in a scene, but because I'm the author, I am sort of “immune” to it. I can't read my own writing and “feel” anything, like I can when I read someone else's work. So to have my book chosen as the winner of the Clara Awards Western Category, it finally sunk in a bit that it wasn't just my friends giving me a pat on the back. A panel of judges that I didn't know voted my book the best of those entered. It was a great feeling!

TS: Do you have any books in traditional in-print publication and if so, what are the titles?
MJB: No, not yet, but I'm working on it!

TS: How many books have you written?
MJB: Two and a half. Redemption is my first. The Canyon Lands is the second complete novel I've done, but I actually started Vengeance – the second book in the Redemption series – before I started The Canyon Lands. Vengeance is now about half done, and I am hopeful I can have it finished and circulating on or before my birthday in June.

TS: How many of those have been published?
MJB: Redemption and The Canyon Lands are both under contract, Redemption due out in December 2001, and Canyon Lands will be published in August of 2002.

TS: What drew you to publish in the e-book format?
MJB: I had tried to find an agent or traditional publisher to take Redemption for a couple of years without much success. I continued to get rejection after rejection, most of them saying that the market for western novels just wasn't thriving. But I thought differently, so I kept at it. Then, about three years ago, a western author-friend, D.H. Eraldi, told me about a fantastic writers organization, Women Writing the West. We both joined that year, and that's where I first heard of Patricia White. I saw that she had sold her western novel to an electronic publisher, heard that they were paying authors far more in royalties, and accepted the kinds of things that the traditional publishers were too scared to take a chance on. It was several weeks later, after a particularly devastating rejection, that Patricia White recommended I try submitting to e-publishers. I did my research, found a few reputable groups, and submitted. The first one I sent Redemption to accepted it in about 2 weeks.

TS: What are some of your promotional strategies for your books? What methods have worked very well for you and which ones have been, well, a waste of time?
MJB: I suppose my biggest promotional success has been with my “sample” disks. I have participated in two book-signing events this year, and haven't had a book to sign or sell at either one. So what I did, with the help of my editor, was to create an html file with a sample chapter of my upcoming novels, some bio information, reviews, and other “teasers” included. I copied these to floppy disks and gave them away for free at the signing events. Most people seemed quite receptive to the idea, if not for themselves, then for a western-lover in their circle of family and friends. And the other authors at the two events all drooled over the idea as well. I think it's a keeper.

TS: It has been said that e-books are the way the publishing industry is going; that paperback books will be a thing of the past. Do you agree with that?
MJB: You know, I'm not sure that paper books are going to go the way of the dinosaur anytime soon, if they ever do. But I do agree that electronic books are on the rise – especially when we stop to consider that our children and grandchildren will be more computer-oriented and literate than we are. This generation may not see a real surge in the electronic book market, but as my son reaches adulthood, I suspect that he will see e-books take their place in the literary world.

TS: You are also a former Crossroads Pub author and, like many former Crossroads Pub authors, you were forced to find new homes for your titles. Without getting into any of the specifics of what happened at Crossroads, how has that experience affected your outlook on e-publishers and the industry in general?
MJB: I tend to think that people can get burned anywhere, be it by an e-publisher, a traditional print publisher, or an agent. I've always tried to keep my eyes open, pay attention, and run away from the scam artists. Yeah, I feel a bit burned by what happened at Crossroads Pub, but my theory was to move on, find a home for The Canyon Lands, which I had just finished, and once I knew Redemption was free of contractual obligations, as well as an award winner, try to find another reputable publisher for it.

TS: Do you own any of the hand-held e-book readers and is so, which one(s)?
MJB: I'm proud to say I own the new Hiebook. It's fantastic.
TS: What, to you, are their advantages and drawbacks?
MJB: About the same size as a mass market paperback, it's easy to read on, and convenient to carry. The Hiebook was my first experience with any type of reading device, and I love it. I took it with me to the Women Writing the West conference, and spent an hour or more each morning reading in the dark using the backlight feature, so I wouldn't wake up my roommate. She never knew I was awake, which was so nice!

TS: It has been said that an e-book isn't really a 'published' book, that e-book authors aren't really 'published' authors. What is your response to those kinds of comments?
MJB: I work every bit as hard, maybe harder, on my books as do the traditionally published authors. People are always going to resist change, so I try not to let them get to me. Once my books are available, I will simply smile at those nay-sayers, and hand them a paperback with the comment, “Then this is the version for you!”

TS: What would be your advice to any new, unknown, unpublished author who wants to become published?
MJB: Develop a tough skin, find an iron will and resolve, and start submitting! You have to want it so bad you can taste it, then never give up until you achieve your dreams, goals and desires.

TS: As with every author I interview, here's your opportunity to indulge in some self-promotion. What would you like to say to our readers about your books?
MJB: I try to write books that will appeal to a lot of people, not just western fans. My books have mystery, romance, suspense, action, adventure, as well as western settings…something for any reader. My books are fast-paced, easy to read, and keep you on the edge of your seat the whole way through. If you have a love for westerns, you'll like mine. If you never have found a western you liked, give Redemption a try. You might find you like it.

        A very big thank you to Morgan J. Blake for taking a few minutes to talk with me.

Her award winning novel, “Redemption” will be available this month from Atlantic Bridge Publishing and “The Canyon Lands” is due for an August 2002 release from Novel Books, Inc.

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