LEE MORRISON
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1. Hi Lee! Happy New Year! What do you have planned for 2009?
Hi Debby! Happy New Year to you also! I hope it's a good one for you. As for me, I've got several projects planned.I'm entertaining a new paranormal story based on some requests I've had to expand BEWITCHED BY FATE. Lucas and Ashley made some friends withreaders, and it seems that people would like to revisit Leto Island andfollow their lives a bit more. That just warms my heart because I reallyliked them too.I'm also making a move from my apartment to a house coming up in January. I know it's a cold time of year to move, but the house was just too greatto pass up, and I'm looking forward to having more space!Getting through the spring term at school will keep me pretty busy also,but you can bet I'll still find time for my writing.
2. Of course you'll have time for writing :). So what exactly do Lucas and Ashley get up to in 'Bewitched by Fate' that has bewitched your readers?
Well, it's more about how Lucas and Ashley go about their courtship that was rather unique. They met in their dreams. You see, Lucas is a warlock, and Ashley is a witch.
After Lucas' beloved wife, Kaitra, passed away, he became angry at the fates. Not only did he feel that his own magical gifts had caused him aggravated cruelty, but he cursed the talents he'd been given because he'd been able to foresee the future, and had known well in advance that his wife was going to die--and there was nothing he could do to change it.
Because of knowing in advance that his wife would die, he felt robbed of the beauty of what their natural relationship would have been, and instead had experienced a dark cloud looming in their future, fearing and dreading her death for the last years they had together, and unable to save her.
When Kaitra died, Lucas turned his back on his heritage, his fame as a gifted warlock, and along with it, his homeland--Leto Island (Leto Island is a self-sustaining island that exists in the center of the black hole of the universe and is unknown to humans.), retreating to Earth with his daughter, and vowing to protect her from the pain that magic could cause.
The fates, however, had other plans, and after several years of seclusion, Lucas and Ashley, through no plan of their own, began meeting in their dreams. And oh, what dreams those were! For Lucas, the pull toward this unknown woman was powerful, but also unwanted.
The complications that arise from this situation turn Lucas' life upside down. To make matters worse, Lucas catches his daughter using her own powers one day, and realizes that, as a responsible parent, he had a duty to teach her and guide her with how to use her gifts properly. As a result of this realization, he agrees to take her to Leto Island for the annual Halloween Festival where she can attend workshops, enjoy various activities, and get to know her heritage again in order to understand how she must learn to control her gifts.
What he didn't count on, of course, was coming face to face with the gorgeous woman from his dreams. It was bad enough to feel the searing burn from their spiritual meetings haunt him day and night, but experiencing the power of her presence in reality was absolutely shocking.
3. Do you have any good reviews for 'Bewitched by Fate'?
Sure. Here are some links to reviews for Bewitched By Fate: (More on my website at http://www.leemorrison.org/)
http://www.nightowlromance.com/nightowlromance/reviews/Review.asp?ReviewId=760
http://longandshortreviews.blogspot.com/2007/10/review-bewitched-by-fate.html
4. Where can this book be purchased from?
Bewitched By Fate is a short story that can be purchased at The Wild Rose Press. This story is available electronically, but if you're interested in holding a book in your hands, Life Begins In Arizona, was released in September, and has also been receiving some great reviews, like the one from The Romance Studio, which you can read at this link: http://www.theromancestudio.com/reviews/reviews/arizonamorrison.htm
I loved writing both stories, but they are very different from each other. I think having the freedom to explore various genres is one of the things I love most about writing.
5. What inspired you to become an author?
I remember being creative from the time I was in elementary school. The writing has just always been a part of who I am.
If I had to place credit anywhere, it would be with my parents, but especially my mother, who always made sure I had books to read. I wrote my first (embarrassing) story at age eight, but it wasn't really until I was a teenager that I considered writing on a larger scale than just my own ramblings.
One time my mother read something I'd written, and commented that I should send it in to a magazine. She said she'd always wanted to write but felt she didn't have the required patience to complete a project from beginning to end. Little did she know that many years later it would be those words that carried me through to completing my own novel when the tendency to call it quits set in. What she'd done, in effect, was to validate my feelings. Just knowing she'd experienced the same thing I had was enough to help me over the hurdle when the time came. I was blessed in that both my parents encouraged me to reach for my dreams, but it was really my mother, and what she did for me, combined with my own desire to touch people on a personal level, that lit a flame for the writing. It wasn't really any one moment, but a series of evolving events that began with my mother as the foundation. Sounds corny, but there you have it. :)
6. Do you have a writing tip for any aspiring authors out there?
Perseverance. Be disciplined in your writing time, and diligent in following your goals. Hang out at online writing forums if you can (but don't let it eat up your writing time...). Participate in workshops. Join a local writing group, whether it's RWA, or some other type of learning based writing group. Everyone is pressed for time these days, but even if you squeeze in a workshop or a meeting once a month, you'll be surprised at the progress you've made toward writing and publishing when a year has passed by. The time is going to pass anyway, so why not do something with it?
Network with other authors, beginners and experienced alike. Both will be supportive and provide learning opportunities, and best of all---you'll make some great friends along the way. I think even the most seasoned writer, if he/she is humble enough, would agree that just like life, writing is an ongoing learning experience. There's always room for improvement no matter what level you're at, so keep a positive attitude and never give up on yourself.
7. Where would you like your writing career to be in ten years time?
I'd like to be able to write at least three more books for ideas I've already had, and maybe see about four or five new books published as well.
8. Why inspires you to write paranormal romance?
I like being able to explore creatively. :) It's all fiction, but what fun!
9. Would you consider trying a different genre?
Absolultely. I've already written a novella titled Accidental Fate, and a novel titled Life Begins In Arizona. Accidental Fate is a sweet contemporary novella available at The Wild Rose Press, and Life Begins In Arizona is a contemporary romance novel available both digitally through The Wild Rose Press, and in print at Barnes and Noble, Amazon, or any of your favorite book sellers.
Life Begins In Arizona addresses the critical issue of domestic abuse. I know that pairing this topic with romance is a bit uncommon, but it's had great reviews, and I enjoyed the challenge of writing it.
If you like, you can read the reviews and an excerpt on my website. The Romance Studio gave it five hearts!
Life Begins In Arizona is about Claire, a very capable and intelligent woman who found herself to be the victim of domestic violence. She was strong enough to overcome it and begin again, but she also had to reach deep within herself to find the answers to how it all happened, and then work with herself to allow the scars to heal so she could move forward.
I wanted to show that, while domestic violence is pervasive and ugly, it can also happen to anyone. Beyond that, I also wanted to show that there is hope for those who find themselves in this situation, and that it's possible to pull out of it and move forward.
Claire is a great example of starting over in life.
Life Begins In Arizona is available in both digital form, as well as in print.
10. And finally, where can we find out more about you?
At my website. :) The address is http://www.leemorrison.org/
It's been wonderful chatting with you Debby. Thanks so much for the opportunity to talk about my work. Have a great New Year, and I hope 2009 brings you and all of our friends peace and happiness!
Life Begins In Arizona. Available from The Wild Rose Press.
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