Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
FORESTIUM will be my début novel but I am already working on ARCHIPELAGO, book 2 in the PORTALLAS series. I’m a writer, blogger, family man, business man, graphics artist, educator, IT professional, local community volunteer and the man of the house (or at least that’s my wife says I’ve convinced myself) in a wonderful, loving family of 4. I’ve been married for 28 years and have two wonderful children, although with their special needs it can be a handful at times.
I’ve been writing for quite some time but have never taken on anything as substantial as a novel before – but I’m enjoying every minute of it.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
PORTALLAS – FORESTIUM will be released in the coming days/weeks and I’m really thrilled already with all the positive feedback I’ve been getting from beta readers and publishers. I’m not sure I can pinpoint the actual moment of inspiration but the realisation dawned on me not too long ago that I could put my writing skills to good use and do something really productive with it – hence this novel was born.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don’t know what would qualify as unusual, but I do tend to follow a specific writing routine. When I work on a new chapter, I write brief one-liners for each situation as the scene unfolds in my mind. I write these one after the other on the page. When that’s done, I take each one-liner in turn and convert it into the actual story. By the time the last one-liner is done, the chapter is compete. Then there’s all the re-writes, tweaking, tinkering, changing, fine-tuning, etc.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
I got really into the Harry Potter books – I mean like really engrossed. I admire what J.K. Rowling has done to encourage kids to pick up a book and read.
What are you working on now?
Mostly the promotion of PORTALLAS at the moment, although I’m about 7-8 chapters into ARCHIPELAGO also.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Having a background in IT has meant that I’ve been able to create my own web-site from scratch. Almost without exception, publishers and others in the industry have told me they think it’s hands down one of the best author web-sites around. Check it out and judge for yourself: http://portallas.com. I’d love to hear back from you with your thoughts.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Just do it! Don’t pay attention to any negativity and treat criticism as a means to make improvements.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
My Dad once told me that I’ll meet lots of people in my life. Some I’ll like and others I won’t. If I’m smart, he said, I’ll learn ‘something’ from each of them. Never stop learning! Always challenge yourself to learn something new every day.
What are you reading now?
This sentence. But seriously, at the moment, I don’t have a particular book I’m into. Promotion of the new book is taking up all my spare time.
What’s next for you as a writer?
I plan to finish off book 2 and then continue mapping out the remainder of the PORTALLAS series.
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Well, I don’t think ‘d take works of fiction. I’d probably take books that would help me to survive on the island.
Author Websites and Profiles
Christopher Morgan Website
Christopher Morgan’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
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