Welcome to my weekly Author Spotlight. I’ve asked a bunch of my author friends to answer a set of interview questions, and to share their latest work.
Today, Morgan Elektra – Born in the artists’ community of Woodstock, NY, Morgan Elektra discovered her passion for writing at a young age, penning stories of witches, vampires, and monsters at the dining room table. After years working day jobs and moonlighting as a reviewer for popular horror website Dread Central, Morgan left the comfort of an office to follow her dreams of writing fiction. She spent the early twenty-teens as a freelance ghostwriter of erotica, but has now put aside the masks to write under her own name.
Thanks so much, Morgan Elektra, for joining me!
J. Scott Coatsworth: Tell me one thing hardly anyone knows about you.
Morgan Elektra: Iām usually such an open book that this is a tough one. Iāve talked about my struggles with PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome) and mental illness on my blog already. All of my friends know Iām polydactyl (I have 6 toes on each foot).
The one thing that usually surprises people is that ouija boards make me seriously uncomfortable. Iām a diehard horror fan, but my dad told me never to touch a ouija board when I was very little. The admonishment stuck with me. Mostly because we were not at all religious, and my parents very rarely said ānever everā.
JSC: When did you know you wanted to write, and when did you discover that you were good at it?
ME: I was young when I first declared I wanted to be a writer. Like, maybe 7 tops. I would write little things and read them to my family. It was in third grade that someone outside my family told me they thought I could be a writer. I gave my teacher a story Iād written for her (she was my favorite) and she said she would keep it so when I was famous she would have an original story of mine just for herself. Maybe it was just her being nice, but I totally believed her at the time.
JSC: If I were a Hollywood producer about to put your book on the big screen, who would you want me to cast as the leads? Why? And can we have pictures to drool over?
ME: For my novella A Kiss of Brimstone, Niall DeMarco as Ben & Jason Momoa as Andras. I kept images of them for inspiration while writing it.
My story āThe Endless Knotā, which appears in the Myths, Moons, & Mayhem is a little harder, since I didnāt picture anyone as I was writing. Hmm.
In my head, Beau looks a lot like Andy Biersack from Black Veil Brides. Heās beautiful and ethereal, but also masculine and powerful. For Jackson, I imagine the incredibly sexy D.B. Woodside, who Iāve loved since he was on Buffy. He has the most expressive eyes. I think Tom Hardy would make an excellent Rafael. Thereās a rawness to him that fits Rafe to a tee.
JSC: How would you describe your writing style/genre?
ME: Dark & sensual. Iām a lifelong horror fan, so even my non-horror stuff tends to have a bit of that flavor to it. And I strive to make the reader not just see the story in their mind, but to feel it and taste it as well. I love appealing to the senses.
JSC: If you could kill one person, who would it be, and why?
ME: If I answered this one honestly, it could be considered treason. But Iād do it for the greater good.
JSC: What was your first published work? Tell me a little about it.
ME: I wrote reviews–mostly of books, but of movies and TV shows as well–for several years for horror website Dread Central. That was the first time I ever wrote for someone else and not purely for myself and my friends/family. It was a lot of fun, and I think helped strengthen my writing.
When it comes to fiction, my short story Red Flag appeared in Farrago: the Michael Bekemeyer Project in 2010. The anthology included a potpourri of genres and styles, and was meant to help raise money for a filmmaker friend. Red Flag is about a vampire seducing their prey, but it plays with the conventions a bit.
JSC: Were you a voracious reader as a child?
ME: Absolutely. I devoured all the Andrew Lang fairy books and Nancy Drew, and then I discovered Stephen King and never looked back.
JSC: Whatās your writing process?
ME: I donāt have a designated writing time, though I do try to write at least a little every day. I also donāt outline. In other words, Iām whatās known colloquially as a āpantserā. Occasionally, this leads to problems with me hitting a block, but I usually manage to work through it. Iāve tried outline, but it just doesnāt work for me. I need to discover the story the way the reader would.
I work directly on my laptop, which makes research easier, but also helps with procrastination. For my latest WIP, I also have a Pinterest board with inspiration images for locations, characters, rooms, etc. Iāve never really done that before, but Iāve found it really helpful this time around.
JSC: What pets are currently on your keyboard, and what are their names? Pictures?
ME: My cat Harlequin (Harley for short) loves to insinuate herself between me and the keyboard. Sheās a tortie, and we got her from a shelter a few years ago. Now sheās spoiled rotten by my husband and I. Sheās incredibly smart, cuddly, and adorable.
JSC: What are you working on now, and when can we expect it?
ME: Iām currently wrapping up the rough draft of a M/M paranormal romance/suburban fantasy called Protecting His Pack. Itās got werewolves, intrigue, danger, and sex. Iām hoping to have it out early next year, though that depends a bit on if I decide to self-publish, or submit to a press.
And now for Morgan’s latest tale: The Endless Knot – in Myths, Moons and Mayhem:
Myths, moons, and mayhem make the perfect threesomeāand so do the men in this anthology.āØāØEnjoy nine erotic stories of paranormal mĆ©nages a trois fueled by lust and magic, where mystical forces collide with the everyday world and even monsters have their own demons to conquer.āØāØA werewolf gets a lust-fueled lesson on fitting in with the pack, a professor unlocks ancient secrets and two menās hearts, and a pair of supernaturals find themselves at the erotic mercy of a remarkable human. Ghosts, fairies, aliens, and mere mortals test the boundaries of their desires, creating magic of their own.āØāØPenned by favorite authors such as Rob Rosen and Clare London, as well as by newcomers to the genre, Myths, Moons, and Mayhem is an eclectic mix of paranormal lust and polymythic beings that will spark your fantasies and fuel your bonfires.
Buy Links
Excerpt
From “The Endless Knot”:
Beauās jeweled gaze assesses Jackson from the top of his smooth scalp down to the tips of his polished shoes. He sees the moment Beau notices the fangsāa brief pause, nothing more.
Jackson should walk away and never look back. And yet he canāt make himself turn from those glittering blue eyes.
āWhatās your name, handsome?ā A dimple flashes in one cheek as Beauās grin widens.
Despite what Jacksonās body screams, this is not what he needs. He draws the breath to say goodnight.
A new scent rushes into his nose, making his pounding heart stop for an interminable moment before leaping forward again.
Sweet black earth, tangy moss, and salt. The wild scent of werewolf.
Once, the man who bore it made Jacksonās world spin. And now heās here, sliding out of the crowd with his hip-rolling swagger, hazel eyes locking with Jacksonās over Beauās shoulder. The Cajun lilt of his voice is still syrup thick. āJackson.ā
Itās been a decade since he last saw Rafael St. Pierre, but time has not dulled the other manās appeal. A few inches shorter than Jackson, though half again as broad, his muscled forearms are bare beneath the rolled-up sleeves of his white cotton button-down. Sunlight has bleached his wavy, honey-brown hair lighter on top, and a heavy beard graces his square jaw.
The beard is new. The smirk is not.
Author Bio
Born in the artists’ community of Woodstock, NY, Morgan Elektra discovered her passion for writing at a young age, penning stories of witches, vampires, and monsters at the dining room table. After years working day jobs and moonlighting as a reviewer for popular horror website Dread Central, Morgan left the comfort of an office to follow her dreams of writing fiction. She spent the early twenty-teens as a freelance ghostwriter of erotica, but has now put aside the masks to write under her own name.
She currently lives near Savannah, GA with her husband, their cat Harlequin, andāif the rumours are to be believed (and she sincerely hopes they are)āan awful lot of ghosts.
Find her on:
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/MorganElektraāØ
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/byMorganElektra