Interview With Author Melissa Morris
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m an Australian nurse, writer and avid traveller. This is my debut book, and I have a few other ideas in the works. I have a fascination with the road least travelled, which has led me to work in a health care clinic in East Africa on the outskirts of a refugee camp and study tropical medicine in London and attempt to learn French in Paris during a global pandemic (ok, the learning conditions were not planned)
I returned to Australia at the end of 2021 and have been on a journey of discovering who I am outside of the healthcare industry (while trying to make it financially viable). Nursing will always be a part of my story, but now it includes writing, Francophile and whatever else I decide to do.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
‘Praying For Your Future Husband: 31 prayers for his heart’. The idea came to me 12 months ago when I was at the start of a career change. I have been praying for my future spouse for many years, and sometimes it is hard to know what to pray other than ‘please bless him, Lord.’
Building a habit of praying for your loved ones is so important, particularly when it involves one of the most important decisions of your life, marriage.
The book includes 31 prayers to pray over your future husband, covering many topics. I hope it gives people ideas and a little structure in what subjects they pray about for their future marriage.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I’m sure I will develop more over time, but the one that comes to mind is that most of my first drafts are handwritten. I find it easier to get it down on paper and then type it up on a computer screen to edit. It may be more work initially, but it also means that I can check my work as I go when I am typing in on a computer. You pick up on some really poorly worded sentences before you get too deep in the editing process.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
A lot of what I read is not in the genre I write in. My reading preferences have changed over the years, but I am a huge fan of historical fiction. Writers like Natasha Lester, Fiona Mackintosh, and Elizabeth Wein. I would love to one day write a historical novel, but for the moment, I am focusing on Christian living.
Writers like Stormie Omartian and Jennifer Smith, inspired my current book, and I have also enjoyed reading books by Lisa Bevere and Christy Johnston.
What are you working on now?
I’m in the starting stages of drafting my second book, which is a follow-on from the first. I want to write it for Christian men praying for their future wives. There is also a concept I have been thinking over for a historical novel, but that is very early days, and I’m at the research stage (when I can find the time)
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’m still very new to writing and publishing, so it’s been a lot of trial and error. My current approach is to try everything. If you know that, you have a good book with a great cover, then a lot of the time, your biggest challenge is to promote it.
My goal is to build a strong community of people interested in my work- they are more likely to invest in my books than people who know nothing about me.
You don’t need a massive following of people. You just need a concentrated number of people who are very invested in what you create.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Don’t doubt your talent. Every writer has terrible first drafts, and if you sit there constantly wanting to get it 100% perfect, then you’re never going to publish.
There are many days when I doubt if what I am writing is any good, and I know that even if I had written 20 best sellers, I would still question if I’m any good.
You have a unique idea with a unique voice that people need to hear.
What are you reading now?
I’m terrible at finishing a book before starting another one, so I think there are about 5-6 books I’m reading that I’m at various completion levels. A book that I am very keen to start is An Unknown Beloved by Amy Harmon. I have also preordered her new book, A Girl Called Sampson, which comes out in a couple of weeks
What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m exploring ways of building a sustainable income through my writing, which includes building my social media presence and creating a website. I would like to continue writing my second book in the series on Praying For Your Future Spouse and narrowing down what my focus and branding will be moving forward.
Author Websites and Profiles
Melissa Morris’s Social Media Links