How Cookies Define Character by Alexis Morgan

The Write Way Café welcomes Best-Selling author Alexis Morgan, who shares interesting thoughts on characterization.


I should probably confess right up front that I was an English major in college. As such, I’m probably more prone than most to see symbolism everywhere. Having said that, I do believe an author can give the stories she creates greater depth by allowing the reader to understand what a prize possession or favorite activity really means to her characters.

Take a second and picture a favorite hero or heroine either from a book you’ve read or a book you’ve written. Then see if you can answer this question: What would his/her favorite possession be? I’m talking about the one thing they would never get rid of, that one item they’d grab on the way out the door if they knew they were never coming back.

Or what activity are they always drawn to in good times and in bad? Who or what do they think about when they’re doing it?

I don’t usually pick a favorite item or activity for my characters at the same time I’m choosing their names, age, job, and hair color. But as I start writing, I am often surprised by how the same things keep popping up naturally in the story as I put words on the page.

For example, I wrote a book about Ranulf, a thousand-year-old Viking living in our modern world. When I needed him to drive somewhere, I had to stop and figure out what kind of car a man like him would own. The only one that seemed to fit was a 1930s Packard convertible, which he’d owned since it was new. It was one of the items he’d held onto from his past, a way to remember the people he’d loved and lost over time. Even more than the car, though, he cherished the necklace he’d given to his wife as a young warrior. It was all he had left of the woman he’d once loved with everything he had. Despite all the centuries that had passed since he’d laid her to rest, he still loved her.

In one of my Paladin stories, Hunter Fitzsimon had been tortured by the enemy. At the beginning of the book, he’s a broken man, not sure if he’ll ever recover enough to pick up the shattered pieces of his life. When his friend gives him an antique cane with a carved ivory handle to help him walk, Hunter takes it badly. It’s only when he realizes that there is more to the cane than can be seen at first glance, that he understands what his friend had been really trying to tell him. Inside, there is a razor sharp sword. Over the course of the story, Hunter leans on the cane in different ways. It does help him walk when his leg bothers him, but he also draws comfort from gripping the handle during the times his PTSD threatens to overwhelm him. In the end, when he uses the cane’s hidden weapon to defend himself, he finds his own hidden strength and the courage to rebuild his life with the woman he loves.

Finally, while writing DEATH BY COMMITTEE, my new cozy mystery from Kensington, I made an interesting discovery about the protagonist. Abby McCree, the unwilling amateur sleuth at the center of the story, draws comfort from a particular activity rather than a physical object. When in doubt, she bakes cookies. Lots and lots of cookies. I never set out to have that play such a significant role in the book, but that’s how the story unfolded all on its own.

To begin with, Abby shares her home with a mastiff mix named Zeke. He’s a rescue dog who had a pretty bad time of it in the past. He loves the organic doggy treats she bakes for him. She knows she’s spoiling Zeke a bit, but it’s her way of making up for his rough start in life.

She also enjoys spending time with her friends gathered around her dining room table sharing refreshments. Sometimes the occasion is purely social, but they also conduct a lot of boring committee business while munching snickerdoodles.

Abby has also learned that fresh baked cookies can go a long way toward smoothing troubled waters when it comes to the men in her life. Tripp Blackston is her handsome but curmudgeonly tenant, and then there’s the local chief of police.

But beyond all of that, for Abby, baking is a powerful emotional connection to the times in the past when she and late her aunt spent hours in the kitchen together. When Sybil passed away, she left Abby her house, her dog, and even her tenant. That generous gift came at a time when Abby’s life was in turmoil. It enabled her to start over and build a new life for herself. So every time Abby makes a batch of cookies or doggy treats, it’s bridge from good times in the past to her new life in Snowberry Creek.

So, the bottom line is that what the readers learn about the people in a book isn’t just revealed in the big moments in the story, but also in the small details that have a special emotional meaning to the characters. Whether it’s through a physical object or a particular activity, the author can help her audience make a deeper connection to the hero or heroine and to the world she is creating with her words.

For a chance to win an ARC of DEATH BY COMMITTEE and a keychain with a picture of Zeke, the dog in DEATH BY COMMITTEE, please leave a comment AND your email so we can contact you if you are the winner!  Apologies, but this giveaway is limited to the U.S. only.  Winner will be announced on Monday February 11th!

When Abby McCree suddenly inherits her favorite relative’s property in small town Snowberry Creek, Washington, she soon realizes that the ramshackle home comes with strings attached—one of which is tied to a dead body!

After a rough divorce, Abby McCree only wants to stitch up her life and move on. But other loose ends appear after her elderly Aunt Sybil passes away, leaving Abby to tend to a rundown estate, complete with a slobbery Mastiff of questionable pedigree and a sexy tenant who growls more than the dog. As Abby gets drawn into a tight-knit quilting guild, she makes a twisted discovery—Aunt Sybil’s only known rival is buried in her backyard!

Despite what local detectives say, Abby refuses to accept that her beloved aunt had anything to do with the murder. While navigating a busy social calendar and rediscovering the art of quilting, she launches an investigation of her own to clear Aunt Sybil’s name and catch the true culprit. The incriminating clues roll in, yet Abby can’t help but wonder—can she survive her new responsibilities in Snowberry Creek and still manage to patch together a killer’s deadly pattern without becoming the next victim?

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A Rita finalist and USA Today Best-selling author,  Alexis Morgan has always loved reading and now spends her days imagining worlds filled with strong alpha heroes and gutsy heroines. She is the author of over forty-five novels, novellas, and short stories that span a wide variety of genres: American West historicals (as Pat Pritchard); paranormal and fantasy romances; and contemporary romances. She is currently celebrating the launch of her new mystery series, The Abby McCree Mysteries. 

@Alexis_Morgan          Facebook           Website

 

Paladin Series with Alexis Morgan

The Write Way Café welcomes Alexis Morgan, a best-selling author whose interest in geology inspired a series. 

Leave a comment for a chance to win an e-copy of Atone in Darkness! Winner will be selected on Monday August 27th. 


Tell us a little about Atone in Darkness.
Atone in Darkness is a story about two strangers who must find a way to trust each other in order to survive. Chase Mosely is a Paladin, one of the secret band of modern day warriors who protect our world from invaders from across a mysterious barrier that leads to a dying planet. He has been kidnapped and held prisoner by an organization that wants to learn the secrets behind the Paladins’ ability to come back from devastating injuries and even death itself. Marisol Riggs is the doctor who has been hired to study Chase and the strange markers in his DNA. She accepted the job without knowing what she was really getting into. She had no idea that her test subject would be tortured on a daily basis. As she renders what care she can, she finds herself fascinated by Chase as a scientist but also as a woman. Chase isn’t sure he can trust Marisol, but his conscience won’t let him leave her behind when he finally escapes. As they flee their common enemy, they run…right into each other’s arms.

If Atone in Darkness was made into a movie, who would play your main characters, and why?
I would cast Sam Worthington to play Chase Mosely in a movie of ATONE IN DARKNESS. I loved how he portrayed his character in Avatar, showing he could be charming with a great sense of humor. At the same time he was so fierce when he needed to be protective. I also love his voice, and he has a great smile. To play Dr. Marisol Riggs I would pick Jennifer Lawrence. She looks very much like how I envision Marisol, but she also comes across as smart and strong.

What or who has been instrumental in or to your writing journey?
There are so many people who have been instrumental in my journey. The first person I’d have to mention is my fellow writer, Janice Kay Johnson. She is the first author I ever met, and she’s the one who inspired me to try my hand at writing my own books. That was over two decades ago, and we still get together to plot our next books together. We approach story from much the same way, and I can’t imagine where I’d be without her to bounce ideas off of. Another person who has played a key role in my career is my agent, Michelle Grajkowski. She’s been right there with me through all the ups and downs of this business. And finally, I’ve been lucky enough to have found good friends—some writers and some not—who have cheered me on along the way.

What “keepers” are in your home library?
My “keeper shelf” has gotten pretty crowded over the years. I have all of Ann Bishop’s The World of the Others books. The world building in that series is just amazing. I also have all of Nalini Singh’s Psy-Changeling books and reread them often. Jennifer Ashley’s Shifters Unbound is another favorite series. When it comes to historicals, I have a lot of shelf space dedicated to Sarah MacLean’s historical series (One Good Earl Deserves a Lover is my favorite!) I also love a four book series by Karen Robards about a psychiatrist who studies serial killers and is haunted by the ghost of one of her former subjects. (I love a good ghost romance!) The first book in the series is The Last Victim. And finally, any book by Ilona Andrews is a must-buy for me. I really love the newest series, A Hidden Legacy.

If you could be a character in any book you’ve read (or written), which character would you be and why?
I think I would want to be Tate Justice, the heroine in DEFEAT THE DARKNESS, one of my Paladin books. I suspect I identify with her because she’s a romance writer or at least trying to be. She inherited an old Victorian house that her late uncle used as a bed-and-breakfast/tea shop. Tate is working on her first book, which is a American West historical. When she starts writing, the sheriff is supposed to be the hero, but the sexy outlaw ultimately wins the heroines heart. Of course, that might have something to do with the mysterious man who is renting the apartment over Tate’s garage. Hunter Fitzsimon is an incredibly handsome Paladin, but he’s been badly wounded and needs time to recover both physically and emotionally. As Tate gets drawn into Hunter’s world, she finds out how brave she can be, and Hunter learns that he is once again the warrior who stands strong against his enemies.

What book do you wish you could have written?
I would have loved to have written Midnight Rainbow by Linda Howard. It originally came out in 1986, and the hero, Grant Sullivan, won my heart. All these years later, I can still remember my favorite scenes from that book. He was a great wounded-soul warrior. Jane, the heroine, had her own emotional scars, but she was the perfect person to help Grant leave the darkness behind and live in the light again. When I started writing my own books a few years later, he was the inspiration for all of my own heroes.

What has been the toughest criticism given to you as an author? What has been the best compliment?
I think the hardest criticism to take is when a reader genuinely doesn’t like the hero or heroine in one of my books. Tastes vary greatly, of course, and I really don’t expect everyone to love every word I write. Having said that, it makes me feel as if I’ve somehow failed to paint a clear picture of who my character is and what motivates them.

The best compliments I’ve ever gotten are when a reader lets me know that my books have helped her through tough times. One woman told me that reading one of my early American West historicals helped her get through the dark days after 9/11. Another young woman told me that she and her mother shared reading my Paladin stories while the mother was undergoing chemotherapy for breast cancer. That took my breath away.

Do you have any compulsions you must do for no particular reason?
I use a different 3-ring binder for each book I write. I know that some people prefer things that match, but I love using all different colors of notebooks. My friends have gotten used to me having to study the notebook selection at the office supply store to see if they’ve come out in any new colors. When I find one, I squeal like a preteen girl at a boy band concert. Just FYI, my current notebook is dark green; the one before that was pink.

Tell us about the book in your closet.
Twenty-plus years ago, my very first complete manuscript was essentially a western with aliens. A troop of fierce warriors followed the evil entity who had destroyed their world to ours in order to end their enemy once and for all. They knew they could never go back home, but they were willing to sacrifice themselves to stop him from destroying another world. Unfortunately back then, the paranormal market as we know it now didn’t exist. Although an editor or two were intrigued with the concept, they weren’t sure what to do with the story. I still love writing band-of-brothers stories about sexy warriors who stand the line to protect their world.

We’re adding books to our Café menu. Would your book be a drink, an appetizer, an entrée or a dessert? What would you call it?
I’d like to think of Atone in Darkness as a decadent dessert, the kind a reader could indulge in at the end of a hard day. I’d call it A Paladin Delight, and I’m envisioning a lot of dark chocolate and whipped cream. Yum!

And now for the fun stuff!

If you were a punctuation mark, what would you be?
I think I’d be a question mark. Writers often see an article in the news or watch two strangers interact and wonder “Hey, what if????” An entire book or even a complete series can stem from that one question.

What is your biggest shopping downfall?
I don’t know if buying books is actually a downfall, but it is definitely one of my greatest weaknesses when it comes to spending money. Oh, and office supplies. I’ve often said that if they put a Starbucks in my local office supply store I’d never come home.

Are you a glass half empty or glass half full personality?
I try really hard to remain optimistic most of the time. I’ve found a positive attitude makes me a more productive person.

What is something you do that people would be surprised at?
I enjoy watching podcasts on geology. It was my interest in geology that helped inspire my Paladin series in the first place.

Are you a dog/cat/other person?
I’m actually all three of those things. I’ve owned several cats in the past (well, technically I suspect they owned me.) Having said that, I currently have two grand-dogs in my life, both bulldogs. Remus is an English Bulldog, and Walter is an Olde English Bulldogge, a slightly different breed. They are both great guys, and I love when they come to visit. When they were both here at the same time, we had our very own “running of the bulldogs” in my kitchen, which was great fun.

I also have a writing partner who keeps me company when I’m working. His name is Nimbus, and he’s a blue and white parakeet.

If you had to write with a pen instead of a computer, what type of pen would be your preference?
I would use a Pentel EnerGel pen with violet colored ink. In fact, that’s what I really do use when I’m starting either a new story idea or the first chapter in a new book. I find it hard to face a blank computer screen, so I write by hand until I get the opening paragraphs just the way I want them.



Return to the steamy and suspenseful Paladin series by the USA TODAY bestselling author with this heart-pounding novel following a doctor and her mysterious patient as they try to escape a mysterious military force hell-bent on exploiting them both.

Brilliant doctor Marisol knows nothing about the mysterious man whose vitals she monitors and whose every move she's paid to track—other than the fact that he is brought to death's door each night by a squad of military grade thugs. She certainly can't ask the people who hired her. After all, they run this shady, hi-tech compound where she is now stranded, the only woman among huge, uniform-clad brutes.

Chase Mosely, Marisol's sole charge, knows nothing about who was behind his kidnapping, other than the fact that they want to know about his Paladin's ability to heal. Nor does he know anything about his pretty keeper, who seems to be working for the enemy, but still looks at him with compassion in her eyes.

Both held captive in a remote testing facility, their desperate stories intertwine. And, as they discover that they mean more to each other than they could ever have imagined, the two of them must find a way to escape, no matter the odds.

Amazon         Barnes & Noble         iTunes         Kobo


About Alexis:  USA Today Best-selling author Alexis Morgan has always loved reading and now spends her days imagining worlds filled with strong alpha heroes and gutsy heroines. She is the author of over forty-five novels, novellas, and short stories that span a wide variety of genres: American West historicals (as Pat Pritchard); paranormal and fantasy romances; and contemporary romances. She is really excited about the release of her latest Paladin Strike Team book and that 2019 will see the launch of her new cozy mystery series, the Abby McCree Mysteries.

Website         Twitter        Facebook
 

An Interview with Alexis Morgan

The Write Way Café welcomes author Alexis Morgan, who explains why writing is like walking through fog.

When did you first have the thought you'd like to write a book? Was that first thought related to writing romance?
I met my first published writer, Janice Kay Johnson, about twenty-five years ago and became fascinated by what she was doing. She introduced me to the wonderful world of romance novels of all kinds. Eventually, because of my intense interest, she encouraged me to try my own hand at writing a romance and mentored me through the whole process. Most people can’t point to the one person who dramatically changed their lives, but Janice did that for me. We still brainstorm ideas and support each other in our writing.

What was your path to getting this book written and published? What type of research did you do?
I’ve always wanted to write a fantasy romance trilogy, and when this idea started to come together for me, I had several long talks with my agent and with my friend Janice to flesh out the concept and how the trilogy should be structured. Once I had that figured out, I researched a bunch of different topics.  I started off by reading a lot about life in medieval castles and towns. Then I studied the clothing of different eras to decide how my people would dress. I read up on scrying and on swords. I studied pictures of gargoyles and read about Irish wolfhounds. I also spent hours looking at pictures of horses, deciding which kind of horse would choose each of the five warriors. As the most chivalrous of the warriors, Duncan was chosen by a lovely, well-mannered mare. On the other hand, Kane’s horse, like him, wasn’t classically beautiful, but Rogue is strong, loyal, and fierce in battle. By the way, the book I liked best on horses was called The Beautiful Horse by Bob Langrish & Nicola Jane Swinney. It has the most amazing photographs of horses.

Where did the idea for your story come from?
I was watching the Lord of the Rings movies and became intrigued by the warriors Frodo saw sleeping in the waters of the swamp. I kept wondering what circumstances would have brought them there and what, if anything, would ever bring them back to life. That’s when I first imagined my own set of five warriors who have been resting for centuries beneath the river as they waited to be called forth by their gods to defend their world.

Why did you pick the setting you did?
I’m a huge fan of fantasy stories with fierce warriors and strong women banding together to fight evil. There’s something so compelling about knights on horses and mages who wield powerful magic of different kinds. I also love including animals in my books, and this kind of world allowed me to have magical horses that choose their own riders. I also had great fun picking out the animal avatars for each of the warriors. Only Lord Kane would have a pet gargoyle!

What have been surprises you've encountered while writing the book and after?
Although I always know who the hero and heroine are when I sit down to begin a new book, it’s often the secondary characters who manage to surprise me. Sometimes they are people I planned to include in the story, but often others sneak “on stage” and demand my attention. In this series, Sigil was originally just one of the Duke Keirthan’s captains, and I meant for him to die in the first book. However, Sigil refused to play that part and instead developed into a complex character who was so much more than a spear carrier for the villain. The other character who surprised me was Sarra, the young girl whose parents were killed by the duke. I expected her to be just another victim of Keirthan’s hunger for power. As it turns out, Sarra has her own powerful magical gifts, ones that play an important role in the stories. I love it when a book is unexpectedly enriched by characters that take on a life of their own!

Tell us about your writing space and how or why it works for you.
My office is a bit cluttered, and I share it with two parakeets, who keep me company as I write.  I listen to music as I write, so it’s a good thing Nimbus and Jubal share my taste in music. As far as I can tell, their favorite song is Holding Out for a Hero by Bonnie Tyler, which is only appropriate for a romance writer’s boon companions. It probably comes as no surprise that I have shelves stuffed full of books, both fiction and nonfiction. I’m also surrounded by stuffed dragons, hedgehogs, a dinosaur or two, and my collection of gargoyles. I like having my favorite books close at hand, and the critters (both real and not) make me feel as if I’m in my own little world when I sit down to write.

What are some of your favorite books and why?
Midnight Rainbow by Linda Howard will always be a favorite because the hero, Grant Sullivan, pretty much defined for me the kind of hero I love in a book. It came out just as I got really interested in writing, and I knew from the beginning that I wanted to write about heroes with a powerful sense of honor and fought to protect those who couldn’t defend themselves.

Most recently, I read The Haunting of Maddy Claire by Simone St. James and really loved it. It’s set in England right after World War I. Her choices in language and description were really amazing and really brought that world to life for me. I’ve read all three of her published books now and loved them all for the same reasons.

What are you working on now?
I’m writing a paranormal novella and polishing the synopses for three more contemporary stories.

What aspect of writing gives you the most trouble?
Plotting in any great detail before I actually write the book can be troublesome for me. I usually have a good idea of where the book is going to start and where it needs to end up, but the middle is pretty hazy until I actually write it. Someone once said writing a book is like walking through the fog. You can’t see very far behind you, and you can’t see very far ahead. The only place that is really clear is the page you’re writing at the moment. I’ve had to learn to trust my process and know that once I take that first step into the fog that I will reach “The End” safely.

Who is your favorite hero/heroine?
Ooooh, there are so many!  As I already mentioned, Grant Sullivan has been a favorite for a long time. Zsadist in J.R. Ward’s Black Dagger Brotherhood series about broke my heart. I also love Curran, the Beast Lord in Ilona Andrews’ Kate Daniel’s series.  Lord Ian Mackenzie in Jennifer Ashley’s The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie is an amazingly complex hero.

I love a really strong heroine, too. Mercy Thompson in Patricia Briggs’ series comes to mind, and Kate Daniels is the perfect match for Curran in the world Ilona Andrews has created.  And in Jennifer Ashley’s Shifters Unbound series, I love how Kim Fraser fights to defend not just her client, but all of the shifters.

About Alexis: USA Today Best-selling author Alexis Morgan has always loved reading and now spends her days imagining worlds filled with strong alpha heroes and gutsy heroines. She is the author of more than thirty books, novellas, and short stories that span a variety of genres: American West historicals (as Pat Pritchard); paranormal and fantasy romances; and most recently, contemporary romance. Alexis has been nominated for numerous industry awards, including the RITA© from the Romance Writers of America, the top award in the romance genre.

www.alexismorgan.com      Twitter: @Alexis_Morgan      Facebook


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Alexis is giving away a signed copy of Honor's Price and a custom designed book thong for the Warriors of the Mist series. 

 










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