Interview with YA fantasy romance author S.L. Morgan: 'What if there were worlds outside of Earth?'
In October of 2011, S.L. Morgan became inspired to write her new novel series, Ancient Guardians. With her passion and love for Jane Austen and other classic romance novels, she was motivated to write a novel series of her own. The Legacy of the Key is the first book in her novel series, taking readers not only into a new magical dimension—but giving them a feeling that they have been transported back in time—into England’s seventeenth century.
With her second novel in this series nearing its release date in late summer 2013, S.L. Morgan is currently writing in the third novel of the
Ancient Guardians series, and is excited to bring her readers on more adventures and journeys with these characters.
Visit her website at www.slmorganauthor.com.
About the Book:
No matter where you are, facing your reality with passion and purpose
will always lead down the path you were intended to go.
While Reece Bryant is making her way through this world on her own, she is suddenly confronted with the truth of her existence, and the reality of her future. It is when she encounters two alluring and mysterious men, that a series of extraordinary events takes place, putting Reece’s life in grave danger. With her life in the balance, Reece must blindly trust the two mysterious strangers; and when she does, she is brought into an enchanting world that is beyond her logical comprehension.
This captivating land reveals new worlds and new dimensions to which her existence is paramount. But it is once she falls in love with the stunning Levi Oxley that everything will change, and Reece’s life will be in more danger than ever before.
Forced to return to Earth and face a Council of Worlds, Reece discovers there is more to this enchanting dimension than she could have ever imagined.
At a moment’s notice, even thru the fog of our denial, our journey can become crystal clear. And within the revelation, once our fear subsides, we can find contentment and purpose if we focus on the things that matter most. Trust—Courage—Love.
While Reece Bryant is making her way through this world on her own, she is suddenly confronted with the truth of her existence, and the reality of her future. It is when she encounters two alluring and mysterious men, that a series of extraordinary events takes place, putting Reece’s life in grave danger. With her life in the balance, Reece must blindly trust the two mysterious strangers; and when she does, she is brought into an enchanting world that is beyond her logical comprehension.
This captivating land reveals new worlds and new dimensions to which her existence is paramount. But it is once she falls in love with the stunning Levi Oxley that everything will change, and Reece’s life will be in more danger than ever before.
Forced to return to Earth and face a Council of Worlds, Reece discovers there is more to this enchanting dimension than she could have ever imagined.
At a moment’s notice, even thru the fog of our denial, our journey can become crystal clear. And within the revelation, once our fear subsides, we can find contentment and purpose if we focus on the things that matter most. Trust—Courage—Love.
Q: Welcome to The Writer's Life! Now that your book has been published, we’d
love to find out more about the process.
Can we begin by having you take us at the beginning? Where did you come up with the idea to write
your book?
SL: I have always been an individual with a very vivid imagination. I love getting lost in books that transport you into their worlds with their characters. In October of 2011, I decided to create my own fantasy world and imaginary characters that would sweep the readers into an enchanting and mystical dimension. In order to create the storyline, I asked the question, “What if?” What if there were other worlds outside of life on Earth? What would those other worlds be like? Would they have an interest in Earth, if so would they desire to harm or protect it? Once I started answering these questions, the writing process began.The idea to interweave the super-natural worlds with seventeenth century England was inspired by love for historical romances. I decided to take the passion I have for reading a good, clean classic historical romance and interweave that with my years of watching, reading and loving sci-fi and fantasy novels. The result is this book, two of my favorite types of reading material, completely opposite of each other, interwoven together bringing to the readers what I consider to be…the best of both worlds.The process from start to finish consisted of a lot of determination on my part. Four months of writing every day, and I had the novel completed. (Or so I thought). The real work came after the book came back from a professional editor. She had definitely done her work and I had a lot of rewriting and revisions to do. It was a grueling process and many times I wanted to give up, but I had an excellent support group and they helped me stay focused on the final ‘prize!’ In December of 2012, I held my first published novel in my hands and the excitement that I felt, made all of the hard work worth it.
Q: How hard was it to write a book like this and do
you have any tips that you could pass on which would make the journey easier
for other writers?
SL: The difficult part about writing a book like this, was finding a way to draw the readers in. I wanted them to keep turning the pages, trying to figure out what was going to happen next. In order to do this, I had to paint a detailed picture. I needed good, strong characters that were enjoyable to read and didn’t bore the reader. Making sure this happened consisted of a lot of rewrites, but in the end, it was worth it.A bit of advice I would pass on to other aspiring authors, is not to fall in love with their first draft. Expect to tear it completely apart, and rewrite, rewrite, and rewrite. It will be exhausting, but you and your book will be better and more polished in the end. Never give up, and get involved with other authors out there. During my journey, I have found that most authors are friendly, helpful, and supportive of aspiring writers.
Q: Who is your publisher and how did you find them
or did you self-publish?
SL: I did a lot of research before deciding that self-publishing was going to be a better fit for me. I did, however, send it to an editor before publishing. I wanted outside, professional critique. It was the best decision I ever made!
Q: Is there anything that surprised you about
getting your first book published?
SL: The most surprising aspect about publishing my book was the positive feedback I got from my readers. I had mentally prepared myself for bad reviews, negative criticism, and/or a complete lack of interest from everyone. I loved my story, but would anybody else? Having people message me and tell me how much they loved it, that they can’t wait for more in the series, or sending me pictures of people whom they envision as certain characters, is an amazing feeling! I wanted to the book to be well received, but didn’t expect this level of enthusiasm.
Q: Can you describe the feeling when you saw your
published book for the first time?
SL: I was completely excited and scared to death at the same time. I felt like I had put myself out there for the entire world to love or hate; and truth be told, holding the published work in my hands gave me a good amount of anxiety. I had created an alternate reality, and there was a good chance people would start to think I’m crazy…if they hadn’t thought so already. I took a lot of calming breaths, and decided it was time to start appreciating this journey, no matter where it was going to take me.
Q: What other books (if any) are you working on and
when will they be published?
SL: My second book is currently undergoing its edit, and I’m hopeful it will be published late this summer. I’ve written the third book, and finished writing the fourth book a few weeks ago. I wasn’t sure if there would be a fifth book in this series or not, but the other day an idea came to me, so it looks as though my characters are going to keep me busy for quite a while.
Q: Fun question: How does your book contribute to
making this world a better place?
SL: When I wrote this book, I really wanted to remind people of some of the virtues that are almost non-existent these days – chivalry, charity, and being an honorable person in general. Trusting that someone will do what they say, or that they will give you the shirt off their back if you needed it is such a rarity, yet it is so endearing. We live in a world that doesn’t promote those things, and we’re too busy to notice half of the time. It was nice to create a world where the people are born to do for others, and they appreciate every moment.
Q: Finally, what message (if any) are you trying to
get across with your book?
SL: I’m not sure if there is a particular message, but maybe I could say that in this book, it’s a clean romance with a genuine love between the characters.
Q: Thank you again for this interview! Do you have any final words?
SL: My pleasure, I’ve really enjoyed answering the questions. As for final words, I’d just like to thank all of the readers who have supported my work, and I’m looking forward to bringing all of you on more exciting adventures!
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