Welcome special guest: author Morgan Kearns ( @MorganKearns #FF )

Today we have author Morgan Kearns visiting. Morgan survived the intense and ever-changing insanity of television news for nearly 10 years before retiring to enter the jungle of raising four children. She writes novels that are ‘a real page turner’ and ‘couldn’t put the book down’ reads.

So, Morgan, what inspired you to become a writer?
An idea struck one day and I began writing down the story. It was my first attempt and I cringe at the thought of opening that manuscript because my writing style has changed substantially since then. I still love those characters, though, and hope to go back someday to finish writing their story so I can introduce them to the world.

How many stories did you complete before you sold your first?
Gosh, I don’t know. Fifteen? Twenty?

What genre(s) do you write in? Romance; Contemporary and Paranormal at this point. What drew you to write in it/them? I am a Happily-Ever-After kind of girl! If it (book, movie, whatever) doesn’t end in HEA, I’m not interested. :) With that said, HEA is the definition of the romance genre. Well, okay, I guess we have to count Happily-For-Now as well. *shrugs* But usually there aren’t tears at the end of a romance novel unless it’s really, really happy—which isn’t a bad thing in my opinion. What’s your favorite genre of all to write in? That’s a tough one. I guess it would have to depend on which muse is speaking at the time, then he’s definitely my favorite be he vampire, shifter, or plain ol’ hot-blooded, sexy man!

What are the best and worst pieces of writing advice you ever received?

Best advice? I’d have to say “write what you know”. Yes, it’s cliché, but it’s so very true. One of the biggest compliments I get from readers of Fade to Black and In It To Win It is that they love the realism of the newsroom. I couldn’t have done that without having lived it. My advice: if you can’t live it, then do your research.
The worst advice I ever got actually came from my eighth grade English teacher: You probably shouldn’t write. Now, that’s probably not what she really said, but that was my interpretation of her grading techniques. I didn’t write for over 20 years after that. I’m so very glad I didn’t listen to her advice.

How do you celebrate/deal with acceptance/rejection letters?
Rejection is part of exposing yourself. It’s never easy to have someone say no. I actually have a file folder where rejection letters go. Some of them have actually given me a laugh. For example: An agent sent me a form letter with a flyer for his book that I could purchase for $19.99 plus s/h. No, I didn’t buy it. Acceptance? That’s easy…We par-tay down! Even my kids do a happy-dance. *grins*

In regard to the book you’re promoting, which actor and actress do you envision playing the roles of your hero and heroine? Grayson could be played by Alex O’Loughlin or George Eads, but they’d need a goatee. Jane could be played by Kiera Knightley, maybe? Or Hillary Duff when she has dark hair? If there’s a villain or other characters who are pertinent to the story, who would play those parts? Molly could be played by Anna Faris, Xavier could be played by Colin Farrell, Nate? *shrugs* I don’t know. I’ve tried to give him a famous persona and just can’t do it. Nate Hughes is truly one of a kind. LOL!

The book you’re promoting, is it a stand-alone story or part of a series? If it’s part of a series, please list the order the books need to be read in for maximum reading enjoyment.
IN IT TO WIN IT is technically a stand-alone. However, there are characters that carry over from my debut novel, Fade to Black. And coming sometime late next spring there will be a follow up with characters from In It To Win It. Xavier gets his own story and oh, it’s an interesting one! There are spoilers for Fade to Black in IN IT TO WIN IT, though.

*** Now for some fun info… ***
What’s your favorite ice cream flavor?
Mint Chocolate Chip!

Which do you prefer: rain or sun & warm weather or cold weather?
I love it all, actually. Big, gigantic snowflakes when I’m snuggly warm inside with my hot cocoa make me smile. In Arizona we have monsoons and the lightning storms with huge raindrops are amazing! But, since I tend to always be cold, sunshine and warm weather are the BEST for this girl.

What’s your favorite number?
Lucky 13! And I’ve heard an upcoming Rockets player is fond of 13 as well. *wink*

*** About Morgan’s book/series… ***

My upcoming book, Out of Left Field, is the follow-up to In It To Win It and will be out in May/June 2012. I’m really excited for everyone to get to know Xavier better. In In It To Win It I needed a placeholder, a jerk to friend Grayson and drive Jane a little batty. Enter Xavier. It wasn’t until a reviewer asked what his deal was that I considered he might even have one. As I started to investigate his jerkiness I fell head-over-heels for the Left-Fielder.

Meet Xavier, and Grayson and Jane, in In It To Win It today.
Tagline: Take one saucy sportscaster, add baseball’s notorious bad-boy, throw in 15 years of frenzied feelings & an exclusive interview with strings attached ... and you get a reunion that’s sure to get knocked out of the park!

In It To Win It is available on Kindle, Nook, other ebooks, as well as at MorganKearns.com.

***Find Morgan here***
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Thank you for joining us here today, Morgan! It was a pleasure getting to know you and your work.

Thanks for giving me this opportunity, Chris! Also, I’m happy to give away a digital copy of In It To Win It. Entrants must be/become a follower on C.R.’s blog and like my Facebook Author Page.