Intimate Interviews

A Moment With Morgan Rider

[JettaFrame, AfterDark] Thank you so much, Morgan, for agreeing to let us interview you! We've said already but we adored your book "Inked and Dangerous". We're dying to get to know the mastermind behind the humor, steam and edge-of-seatness of this book, so please, tell us a little bit about yourself.

How did this writing business begin for you? How did you find wattpad?

[Morgan Rider, Featured Author] I was born and raised in Las Vegas, Nevada. A hot, desert that somebody decided to build a city in. My parents worked as musicians, so I got a lot of backstage passes, exposing me to 'the adult world' at an early age. I guess this is where I started cultivating my writer's mind, but I didn't start writing my own stories until I was a full fledged adult with kids and car payments.

In 2007, I quit my job to take care of my youngest daughter and my ornery father. I never went back to a cubicle again. I made my office wherever my laptop would travel as I started writing full time. I joined a weekly critique group and attended all the writing workshops I could afford.

After a few years of cranking out stories, I was craving feedback from real life readers, not just the friends I had made at crit group. I stumbled upon an article about Wattpad, and I thought the concept was inspired. So, I did what any self-respecting skeptic would do, I signed up and stalked the site.

When I finally plucked up the nerve to post my stories for the whole wide Wattpad world to see, I also submitted one story to be featured. I figured, why the heck not? 'Neon Girl' was vetted onto the Teen Fiction featured list and ended up reaching on the hot list. The story went on to win a 2015 Watty's award. Several drinks were had that day.

The confidence I gained through that experience, and with the praise of my readers, I was encouraged to push my writing further. So, I wrote my first ever adult romance and posted it under a pseudonym. This was 'Lexi's Undoing', and once she hit the Romance featured list she caught fire. Turns out, it was the sexy Greek gods that did it. Several weeks after being featured, Lexi made it to number one on the hot list. Drinks were had again that day. Don't judge. The Captain and I always celebrate together.

So, now you know my humble beginnings, and the truth of my identity is out. But, of course, we all have to come out some time.

[JF] Wow!!

Just wow. Reading this is like a snapshot of monumental twists in Morgan Rider's very own story. We're getting a real treat here, I hope everyone reading this interview gets that.

It takes a lot of guts to put your writing on display for others to see. If you could go back in time and catch yourself before writing took on such a focal point in your life, what would you say?

[MR] What would I say to my younger self? First, I'd say; "Let Dad eat all the cookies he wants."

If I'm understanding this question right, we are talking about confidence and having the courage to face criticism. Despite my exposure to the music and entertainment industry, I did not grow up wanting to command the limelight. In fact, I avoided it, and I developed a pretty severe case of stage fright, which I still have to this day. The kind when your knees give out and you face plant in front of the minister reciting your marriage vows.

So, if I could tell my younger, less confident self something to help her reach her goals, I would tell her to do what she loves and not be afraid of success. I would assure her that her confidence will grow by doing things rather than just imagining them, and that her experiences will help gird her loins against the harsh critics. I might even go Albert Schweitzer on her and say 'Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success'. I would also tell her to read more. She was getting too distracted with the boys in the neighborhood.

[JF] Lol!! Alright. I may have bust an empathetic gut over the last sentence...but I felt almost like those words were meant for me as much as your younger self. I'm sure those who are reading this interview will as well.

Thank you :)

You've led a fascinating life it sounds like so far. How much do you depend on your life experience as a writer? Does it lend a hand in creating relatable characters?

[MR] I absolutely credit my life experiences to the voices inside my head. 'Neon Girl' was a tribute to my dad, and I pulled from years of experience living in Las Vegas with a slightly off-center family to create the characters in that story.

Of course, a writer doesn't have to be hitting middle age to be a good storyteller, and I have found that much of my inspiration comes from reading stories with exceptional characters. An author who is invested in writing a bestseller will spend a lot of time with their characters before their virtual feet hit the page. We need to know what inspires our hero. What they would do to help a friend. Would they play truth or dare at a party or sit in the corner? And, if you're writing steamy romance, would they let their crush take them past third base in the backseat of a limo?

[JF] So true! Anyone who has read a good book with characters that leap off the page will testify to that.

Part of this interview is getting to know you as a person as well as author. So I have an important question for you.

How do you feel about cats?

[MR] When I was a kid, our family always had pets, and cats were among them. I have owned a cat pretty much non-stop since I was a babe. So,yeah. I like cats.

[JF] I love cats too. As I speak my fluffy fat tabby is trying to hypnotise me into feeding her for the third time.

Felines.

Asides from great characterization, humor and plots that flow undeniably well, your books also have outstanding steam. For authors who struggle with writing sex, what would be your advice? Do you have any pet peeves? Did you ever struggle with writing out the horizontal mambo yourself?

[MR] The horizontal mambo, eh? I'll add that one to my list.

Do I struggle with writing sex scenes? I wouldn't use the word struggle but rather obsess. I take my intimate scenes very seriously. They always require a lot of time to write out. Not only do I want to give my readers a visual image, I like to add internal and external dialogue to the scene. I think it's important to have both emotional and physical elements at play. Your characters are at their most vulnerable during sex, and so are your readers. This is the perfect time to character build, and to give your readers the thrill they're looking for.

So, my advice to writers of romance is to keep it real, and don't beat around the bush when crafting your erotic escapades. Write your scenes tastefully but not timidly. People aren't reading romance to have the door shut in their face. Go big or go home.

Do I have a pet peeve when it comes to sex scenes? Yes. Refer to my advice above.

[JF] Let us live in hope that this eradicates some bush beater habits xD

I very much admire your writing strengths and I can see it's taken a lot of hard work to get here. Do you ever suffer from "writer's block" or a lack of motivation to write? If so/not how do you manage to stay on top of it?

[MR] Fortunately, I rarely run out of things to write. I always have two works in progress going at once, and I have files upon files of story ideas and plot outlines (I write these down when they come to me). My brain tells me when it needs a break and will power down at will. During those times when thoughts and words aren't flowing, I don't force it and take time off from writing. Freeing up the unused space in my brain will often lead to more story ideas, but usually I'm just catching up on my Netflix shows.

[JF] Sound thinking indeed.

Well, Morgan it's been an absolute pleasure interviewing you, thank you so very much for your time and for letting us in on so much about you and your writing. We wish you the best in your endeavors and can't wait to see what else is in store for the future.