Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m a Welshman in search of adventure. I’ve always been a storyteller and have made it my life’s mission to travel and experience as much as possible so that the stories I tell might be as rich and as captivating as possible.
My work as a high school English teacher has enabled a life of travel and allowed my love of nature to remain central by placing me in interesting and varied environments around the world.
I’ve presently written three books in my ‘Animal Eyes’ series, the first of which was published in autumn of this year. You’ll find my passion for environmental issues and love of the natural world is evident in the vivid settings and authentic behaviour of my animal characters.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
‘The Dogs of Chernobyl’ was released on Halloween this year and is the first book in my ‘Animal Eyes’ series: Man-made disasters as seen by nature’s most defenceless victims.
The idea to write a novel from the perspective of stray dogs came about way back in 2011 while I was working as a teacher in Bangkok. It’s a city where strays, or soi dogs as they’re known locally, can be found in packs everywhere. The following year, I moved to Bucharest to teach and, I don’t know how it is now, but back in 2012 the city had a major issue with stray dogs. Unlike in Thailand, I found the Romanian strays much harder to befriend and this is where the inspiration for the complex character of Ony, the canine protagonist of ‘The Dogs of Chernobyl’ came from.
As for Chernobyl… I’ve worked in the former Soviet capitals of Prague, Bucharest and Baku, spent time exploring Bulgaria and Russia, travelled the Trans-Mongolian/Trans-Siberian railway and have enjoyed several trips to China. This all provided insights into the Communist world and gave me a lot of experience to draw on when creating the world of stray dogs Ony and Belka.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
My only unusual writing habit is that I tend to write in a lot of different places because my life is quite transient – I move a lot! This is great, because I’m always picking up ideas for new stories, but it can be tricky as it takes time to establish a good routine whenever I relocate. With the pandemic, I’ve had no choice but to stay put and I think this has helped me to produce a steady output. My feet are very itchy now though!
What authors, or books have influenced you?
I’ve taught ‘The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas’ by John Boyne in high school a number of times and loved it. The biggest response from teenagers is always when the storytelling meets the history. The naïve perspective on history that comes through the young protagonist is incredibly powerful and is what I’ve attempted to capture through my dog narrative exploring Chernobyl and Soviet society.
Margaret Atwood is a hero of mine. I love how her dystopic futures are based around what’s actually going on in the world. Her wit is so intimidatingly sharp and she seems full of mischief and fun.
I’m a big fan of Kazuo Ishiguro too. I’m in awe of how much space he finds and the understated nature of his writing. Plus, I’m a huge Japanophile, so whenever those influences seep into his work I get a thrill, especially now that another trip to Japan seems a distant prospect. I guess that’s why one of the next books in my series is set around Japan – if you can’t go in body then why not go in mind?
What are you working on now?
I’m busy making final revisions to the second and third books in the ‘Animal Eyes’ series which are due for release next year. Each book explores a man-made disaster from the perspective of a different animal – no spoilers here sorry!
I’m also working on a prequel to the first book: ‘The Road to Chernobyl: Ball Boy & Red Cross Girl’, which will be released in January and is currently available for pre-order. This novella reveals more about the human characters that feature in ‘The Dogs of Chernobyl’. Told from their duel perspectives, it explores Alek & Narmin’s respective journeys to becoming liquidators following the 1986 nuclear disaster.
Last, but certainly not least, I’m working on a free book for my mailing list members. It’s another dog narrative but I don’t want to give too much away as it’ll be an exclusive for those brilliant people who are so fantastic at supporting me.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
As this is my first published book, I’m very new to promoting and am still finding my feet – what works and what doesn’t is not yet clear!
Using my existing network has been critical in making a start, and for me, Facebook has been most helpful in doing this.
I am currently selling exclusively on Amazon, and I think understanding the platform and how best to make your work visible there is an important starting point too.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Comparison is the thief of joy – focus on yourself and don’t worry about how everyone else is doing. Even the smallest step forward is progress, but when you start looking at other people’s success it’s very easy to lose sight of that.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
It’s better to regret the things you’ve done than the things you haven’t. I’m not sure where I first heard it, but I try to live my life by it.
What are you reading now?
Honestly, it’s not very inspiring, but all my current reading is around book marketing guides!
The last novel I read was ‘Klara and the Sun’ by Kazuo Ishiguro, which I enjoyed immensely.
What’s next for you as a writer?
With two more ‘Animal Eyes’ books, and the novella prequel to ‘The Dogs of Chernobyl’, all coming out next year, I’m going to be busy finalising those scripts and learning more about how best to market them and grow my audience.
I also have story outlines for two further books in the ‘Animal Eyes’ series, so I plan to do further research and begin writing early in the new year too.
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?
I think a Japan: English dictionary would provide endless hours of entertainment – a stick in the sand would be all the paper and pen you’d need for practise!
‘The Complete Works of Shakespeare’ would give something for every mood and keep me routed to my humanity and a sense of history.
And because she’s just so great that I could read her again and again, I’d have to bring along some Margaret Atwood too.
Author Websites and Profiles
Justin Morgan Website
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