Interview: Alexis Morgan

NRR: Can you share with us how you got started into writing?

About twenty-five years ago I met my first published author, Janice Kay Johnson (Superrromance), and we became close friends. I found the whole process of what she was doing with her writing to be utterly fascinating. Eventually, she encouraged me to try my own hand at writing and then helped me get started on the path to becoming published.  I always say that most people can’t point at the one person who changed their life, but Janice did that for me.  We’re still best friends and often brainstorm ideas together.

NRR: What is a day in the life of Alexis Morgan like?

I usually start off the day dealing with e-mail, taking care of the business end of my writing, and running errands. 

Then later in the morning or early afternoon, I settle in at the computer and lose myself in the writing.  I’m very much a character driven writer, so it’s always interesting to see where they’re going to lead me next in their stories. 

In my office, I have a pair of parakeets who keep me company, and an eclectic collection of stuffed toys and gargoyles. I usually have a minimum of three dictionaries and my copy of Rodale’s Synonym Finder within easy reach to help with the hunt for that perfect word. I also keep a file on each series I write so that I can keep track of everything.

Another important part of my process is music. I can’t work when it’s quiet, so I listen to my iPod, Pandora, or CD’s while I’m writing. My taste in music is varied depending on my mood.  I like classic rock, country, folk, blues, and R&B.   

NRR: How were you inspired to write the Paladin series?

I’ve always had a thing for alpha heroes. From the very beginning when I used to write American West historicals, I loved the kind of hero who knew he was all that stood between good and evil. No matter what the cost to his own soul, he did whatever it took to protect those he cared about. But then, back in 2004, a new character started moving around in the back of my mind, one who lived in the modern world but fought with an ancient weapon. 

That image led me to having answer a series of questions. Why the sword? And why did I see him fighting at the edge of darkness? Who was the enemy and why had they been fighting this ongoing battle?  I finally decided the enemy wasn’t of this world, and that bullets would further damage the energy barrier that separated the two worlds. I’ve always enjoyed reading about geology, so it was a logical step that the barrier would be damaged by earthquakes and volcanoes. Missouri and Washington made the perfect settings because of their geological features: fault lines, volcanoes, and caves. I think using something real and making it part of the story helps ground the readers in the new view of the world that you’re creating.

All of that introduced me to my first Paladin—Devlin Bane, the hero in Dark Protector, the first Paladin book.    

NRR: What is in your to be read pile?

Let’s see, I have Jayne Ann Krentz’s In Too Deep, Angela Knight’s Master of Smoke, Laurie London’s Bonded by Blood, and The Baby Agenda by Janice Kay Johnson.

NRR: What is your guilty pleasure?

A mocha frappuccino and a good book.  

NRR: Can you share with us a little about Bound By Darkness?

My May release is Bound by Darkness, the story of Larem q’Jones, a Kalith warrior who is caught between two worlds. He can’t return home but has yet to find a sense of purpose in his new one. To complicate matters, his former friends have become the enemy, and the Paladins, his people’s traditional foes, have become his friends. The heroine, Sasha Willis, is the new representative of the Regents, the governing board over the entire Paladin organization. She arrives in Seattle intending to put the locals back on the straight and narrow. Then she meets Larem, and everything changes for them both.    

NRR: What can fans expect to see next from you? 

I actually have back-to-back Paladin releases this year.  The Darkness Beyond will be out in June. My readers have waited a long time for D.J. Clayborne to get his own book, so I’m really excited about its release.  D.J. has been playing cyber-tag with another hacker for months. It’s all fun and games until the other hacker breaches the Regents’ firewalls and gets drawn into the secret world of the Paladins. When D.J. charges to the rescue, the last thing he expects is to fall in love.