Happy Valentine’s Day (one day late). Hopefully it was a good one for you. But if not, you’re in luck. Today I have the great good fortune to speak with my good friend Morgan Kearns, paranormal romance author of Heart Ache. I met Morgan at Arizona Dreamin’ 2011 and
stalked spent time with her at the event. She’d just published her second novel and had a short story on the way. I got the inside scoop on that when I got home. ;)
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| Morgan Kearns |
Welcome, Morgan. I’m so glad to have you here today!
Thanks for having me, Siobhan.
Squeee! Okay, fangirl moment over. :D We should probably start with the questions. What got you started in writing?
*blushes* Ya’ll are going to think I’m completely nuts for this story! I started writing Twilight fanfiction because I needed to “fix” Jacob after Eclipse. After a few stories, characters of my own started talking to me, asking for their stories to be told. And the rest, as they say, is history.
What kinds of stories were your favorites growing up? Which genre?
I didn’t read a whole lot growing up. Weird, I know!
How old were you when you wrote your first story down and what was it about?
The first story I remember writing was in 8th grade. It was an assignment for my English class. When it came back with a bad grade, lots of red marks, and a basic ‘you suck’ notation from the teacher, my dreams of becoming a writer kinda died. I understand now that that was probably not what the teacher said, but *shrugs* that’s what I heard in my thirteen-year-old mind.
What did your family think of you writing? And now?
My family loves that I write, and now that’s grown from a hobby to a career, they’re really proud of me. My kids tell everyone they know. In fact, they asked to give copies of my books to their teachers for Valentine’s Day. I made sure to have the kids tell the teachers “It’s my mom’s book, and the covers are kinda sexy.” HA!
What were you doing before you started writing? What made you switch to fiction?
Before I started writing, I was into doing crafty things and scrapbooking. Big Time! Something had to give though, and now I … write.
Do foods or music, photos or movies, or even smells inspire you in your writing?
The easy answer? YES! Everything inspires my writing. I’ll hear a song on the radio, see an exchange between a couple on the street (without actually hearing it), the kids will say something, Husband will do something…. Anything and everything has the potential of being an inspiration. Who knows? Maybe you’ll be next. *wink*
Eep! ;) Do you only write only paranormal romance or are there other genres you’re interested in?
I also write contemporary romance. Fade to Black is my debut novel. It takes place in a television newsroom. Lots of ups and downs in this story!
In It To Win It is my second novel. Same newsroom, four years later. Sportscaster Jane Alexander is sent on the road to follow the Rockets on their bid for the World Series. It so happens the guy who broke her heart is their star player. Yeah! Ugh!
I’m so excited about your current release, which came out January 17
th, called
Heart Ache. That is an awesomely sexy cover, by the way. Tell us a little about the story.
Thanks, Siobhan! I love Heart Ache, and I have to thank you for your help with it!
In my ‘world’ the male vampire’s heart stops beating when he reaches maturity, at about thirty years or so. When he reaches out and touches his girl for the first time, his heart starts beating again. It took Nikolai four hundred years to find Gabrielle. Turns out that was the easy part!
What inspired you to write this story?
There are a lot of vampire stories out there. I wanted mine to be different. I also wanted a reaction to finding their female that was completely undeniable. They might not want to accept it, but they can’t pretend their heart doesn’t beat every time she’s around.
LOL good way to get rid of the “I’m a guy, I didn’t notice” syndrome! What was the hardest thing about writing this story?
Nikolai. He’s a stubborn male! His father took away his mother’s choice, stealing her away from her bed the night before her wedding to a man she adored. She was human and refused to be changed into a vampire. His father took away her choice there, too. So…not wanting to be like his father, Nikolai refuses to take away Gabby’s choice. And fails to give her one.
What was your favorite character to write in this story? Why?
Gustav. Or maybe Stephon. I’d say it’s a toss-up between those two males. Gustav is Nikolai’s playboy brother and his attitude toward his brother makes me laugh. Stephon is a private investigator hired to figure some things out (yes, I’m being cryptic on purpose *insert evil laugh here*). He’s a great character…literally. His story is next and I can’t wait for him to get his act together!
I know
Heart Ache is the first book of a new series. How many more stories are planned?
There are at least three more in the series. Maybe four. I’ve had another character step out of the shadows, but I’m not sure if he’ll get a full novel, or if his story will be interspersed between the other ones. Stephon for sure. His is next, followed by Gustav, then Vincent. Brace yourself, Vincent’s story is a sad one!
What other projects are you currently working on?
I’m currently writing Out of Left Field. Meet Matthias Xavier III. If you’ve read In It To Win It, you met him in the locker room and in the parking lot, being a class-A jerk to Jane. I know why he’s an ass, and it makes me love him even more!
What is one piece of advice you can give aspiring authors/writers?
WRITE! Some days you'll only get a few words in, some days you'll write pages and pages, but it's important to write something everyday.
Where can readers connect with you?
Thank you so much for being here today, Morgan, and best of luck with your new stories!
If you're interested in grabbing the sexy Nikolai from Heart Ache for yourself, please visit the following links:
Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Heart-Bound-Touch-Novels-ebook/dp/B006ZBKGQQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1327098577&sr=8-1
Nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/heart-ache-morgan-kearns/1108324189?ean=2940013679016&itm=1&usri=heart+ache+kearns
Other Ebook: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/116905
Autographed Paperback: http://morgankearns.com/Paranormal_Romance.html
In addition, there's another way to get a copy, free! Morgan is giving away one ecopy of Heart Ache to a lucky commenter who also joins her on Facebook. Please leave a valid email or Twitter handle in your comment so we can contact you if you win. The contest runs from February 15th to February 28th, and the winner will be announced on the 29th (the day that doesn't exist!). So be sure to congratulate Morgan on her recent release and go like her page on Facebook. Now read a little excerpt of Heart Ache. Happy reading! :)
EXCERPT:
THUMP-THUMP.
Thump-thump.
Nikolai rubbed his chest, directly above his beating heart and smiled. He loved the affect Gabrielle Ryan had on him.
He raised his knuckles and rapped on her door. Again. He knew she was in there. As if his heart wasn’t proof enough, he could sense her.
As another few seconds ticked by, he began to worry. If something had happened to her— He could easily enter her apartment, but would leave that for a last resort.
Another set of knocks, verging on the realm of pounds.
He was just about to bust the damned door down when he heard the lock tumble and the soft squeak of the hinge.
“Niko, what are you…? Pl—” Gabby sneezed. “Excuse me, please come in.”
She flung the door wide and Nikolai stepped over the threshold. White tissues dotted the floor around her coffee table and formed a makeshift snowdrift atop it. A pink fluffy blanket had been thrown aside and a pillow still held a head mark at one end of the couch.
She hurried over to the coffee table and yanked another tissue from the box. After an adorable honking she crumpled it into her hand and began tidying her living room.
“Gabby, it’s okay. I’m not here to inspect your housekeeping skills. I only came by to make sure you were okay.”
She smiled, her eyes red and watery. She sneezed again before melting onto the couch. He took a seat in the large leather chair that interestingly enough matched the one in his office. He reached out and handed her a bag with a Styrofoam container of chicken noodle soup.
“I thought you could use something homemade.”
“You cooked?”
He laughed. “Not exactly.”
The bag crinkled as she pulled it open and stuck her face into it. He grinned at the snuffling that accompanied her deep inhale.
“Oh. That smells so good.” She took another breath and her nostrils whistled. Red splashed her cheeks. She held up the bag. “Thank you, this was very kind of you.”
Kind had nothing to do with what brought him to stand on her doorstep, food in hand. Gabby was his female, his to protect, even if it was only from a flu bug.
“How are you feeling? Better?” He stared into her bloodshot eyes, noting her red nose, and wild disarray of curls barely contained by a rubber band.
Did she have any idea how adorable she was?
She coughed, sneezed … and farted. Her blush from earlier was nothing compared to the crimson she sported now.
“Excuse me.” She blew her nose and looked up at him. The misery in her watery eyes made him mental. “I hate being sick.”
“Is there anything I can do for you?” He forced himself to rub his palms against his thighs instead of pulling her to his chest and comforting her for the duration of her illness.
“No, I’m fine. Just sick of being sick.” She pushed a lock of hair out of her face with the back of her hand and sneezed again.
“Why don’t you sit down and I’ll put the soup in a bowl for you.”
“I can—”
“I insist.” Niko held the bright pink blanket while she settled against the pillows. Tucking her in was one of the greatest pleasures of his life. He resisted pressing a kiss to her forehead, but only barely.
In the tiny, tidy kitchen, Nikolai stared at the closed cupboard doors and took a guess which one would house the bowls. He grinned like a fool when he was right.
A bowl, a spoon, and a splash of soup later, Nikolai returned to her side. She’d rolled onto her side, her face pressed into the pillow, her mouth hanging open. The soft snore and whistle combination made his heart ache.
Goddess, he loved her.
He knelt down on the floor and ran his fingers through the tangles of her auburn hair, traced the subtle lines of her face, caressed the freckles so lovingly sprinkled over her pert nose. He would never tire of looking at her, studying her. She smiled in her sleep, taking on the innocence of an angel, and leaned into his touch.
His thoughts drifted to their first touch, to the warming sensation that blossomed in his chest—a flower opening to replace centuries of emptiness with hope, light, love. In that moment, he’d felt something; something strange, something miraculous, something more than a bit scary. Something that meant she was exactly what he needed.
Forever.
