GUEST AUTHOR INTERVIEW WITH ROBIN LEIGH MORGAN

About the Author

Robin Leigh Morgan has enjoyed a long career writing commentaries and other nonfiction items, but since retiring Robin has devoted leisure time and acquired skills to the writing of the first of what will be many books. Robin’s debut novel is a Young Adult paranormal romance, complete with elements of time travel and the special first kiss in every girl’s life. Robin believes the blending of these different genres will be endearing to all those who read it, regardless of their age.

                                                             The Cover of the Book

Now the interview with the Author of the Book, Robin Leigh Morgan

When did you begin to write?

I actually began to write back in June 1995, where until June 2006 I wrote over 450 commentary type items for a community newspaper.  Along the way I decided to see if I could write something else. I didn’t own a computer back then, but I did have access to one where I wrote my commentaries, and it was on this computer I wrote about two pages a week. Once I got my computer I began to write what I wanted to be a contemporary romance with a paranormal element running through, but I never seemed to get the sense it would be good enough to be read by someone else.  Eventually, someone suggested I write for a younger audience, which how I came to write my debut novel, a YA [Young Adult] Paranormal/Time Travel/First Kiss romance entitled, “I Kissed a Ghost.”

When did you first discover that you were a writer?

It was during the time I wrote my commentaries and my readers told me they like what I write but didn’t always agree with what I had to say. I had no problem with anyone disagreeing with what I had to say, the important thing was I knew people were actually reading what I had to say.

How much did you write before you were published?

I believe I’ve already answered this question in the two answers I gave in the above.

What is your favorite part of writing?

Trying to get into my character’s head, so I would know what they should say or how they should reply to anything that might be said to them,

Tell us about your latest release.

In "I Kissed a Ghost", Mary gets a new classmate named Jonathan who’s a great baseball player and to get on the team, he needs Mary’s help to improve his grades. Six months later when she learns she’s moving, she decides to give him something special--a first kiss. Moving into her new home she soon discovers it has a ghost named George, her age, who takes her on numerous trips to the past of a hundred years ago. As she meets children her own age, everyone teases her about her house being haunted, but no one will go inside. Mary likes his help doing her math homework, writing her reports, and taking her back in time. George and Mary’s interaction grows and she eventually gives him a quick peck on his lips while they’re in the past, which is the only place George is a real boy, for having done something special for her. Can Mary kiss George again at the special date and time he needs to be kissed? What happens afterwards if she does? The answers are all in the book!

Wow! This book sounds really good. Are you planning on writing more in the years to come?

With the self-publication of my debut novel, I’ve gone back to writing the contemporary romance novel I spoke about in one of my other answers. This time, after gaining the experience I’ve learned writing my first novel, I feel more confident I’ll be able to complete writing it in the next few months.

So far what is your worst criticism/attacks, and how have you overcome it?

Criticism and attacks are such harsh words. When it comes from another author, I never take criticism as criticism, I take it has a form of guidance/support from one author to another. Attacks are merely one person’s opinion which comes into conflict with another, during the eleven years I wrote those commentaries I never worried about what people were attacking as it was merely a sign they actually read what I had to say,

What is the accomplishment that you are most proud of?

Getting my debut published, albeit it was self-published, but never the less it was published.

What does your writing process look like?

If you’re asking me whether I’m a plotter or a pantser, I’d probably say a little of both. As I said in the above, I made a skeleton of an outside, writing down the basic plot points I’d like to hit as the story unfolded; and as a sculptor starting with a wire base of what they’d like to have, I added material, then took some away, until I had the finished product I had in mind.

How did you get published?

I didn’t have the patience to go through the routine of writing a query letter, sending it to a specific editor for my genre at a publishing house, and then waiting for a reply. You can only send one letter out at a time for most publishers. If I got a rejection I would then have to start the process all over again. Even if I had received an acceptance letter, I then would have to wait for a response regarding the portion of the manuscript they’d requested.

I decided then to self-publish it. I’ve heard horror stories regarding companies willing to self-publish a book, so I did my research and eventually selected CreateSpace which is a company owned by Amazon.

How do you come up with title of your books?

Selecting a title for a book had been a very challenging experience for me; but after racking my brain over it, I decided to merely summarize the premise for the entire story in as few words as possible until I had something which could be used as the title for my book. Hence, since the story is about a girl [Mary] and her kissing the ghost [George] she had living in her house, the story had to be called, “I Kissed a Ghost.”

Can you enlighten us a little more about your books?

I think I’ve learned about writing and which I included in my debut novel are the numerous hooks it had to keep the reader interested in reading it. When you get to the next to last chapter you feel as if the story has basically come to the end, but it hasn’t because the last chapter has an unexpected twist.

If you’re interested in reading some UNEDITED SNIPPETS from my debut novel, under the category of “GHOSTLY WHISPERS” on any of these blog sites and then consider buying a copy for the little girl in your life.

http://www.mypennameonly.blogspot.com     
http://www.mypennameonly.wordpress.com     
http://www.mypennameonly.webs.com    [my website/blog]

Tell us your guiding principle that governs your life?

The guiding principle which governs my life is the same principle which governs my writing. You do unto others as you would want them to do unto you. I always like assisting other authors to improve their writing, giving them ideas to market/promote their books. etc

How have you cultivated these values?

Knowledge is useless unless it is shared. And sharing comes back to how should people treat each other.

Do you have any advice for writers looking to get published?

The most important thing to do, especially if you’re going the self-published route is making sure you manuscript has been professionally proofread/edited.  And even if this is done, there will be times where even a professional editor might miss something.

Where can we find your book?

My book is available on Amazon.com

http://www.amazon.com/Kissed-Ghost-Robin-Leigh-Morgan/dp/1480030031

The book is also available on Amazon.co.uk Amazon.de Amazon.es Amazon.fr Amazon.it

Where can we find you on the internet?

FaceBook = http://www.facebook.com/mypennameonly

Twitter = http://www.twitter.com/mypennameonly

GoodReads = http://www.goodreads.com/RobinLeighMorgan

Thank you, Robin for taking your precious time with us and wishing you all the best.