Just Erotic Romance Reviews

Author Spotlight on Morgan Hawke

Morgan Hawke is fast becoming one of the most popular writers of erotic romance, even while pushing her readers beyond their boundaries. A writer since childhood, Ms. Hawke states that her writing is an "obsession" and she writes to keep her sanity. Luckily for her readers, she is keeping busy and many of her latest books have become award winners. She is a definite favorite among the readers and reviewers at Just Erotic Romance Reviews and Susan White and Anya Khan were the lucky two chosen to interview Ms Hawke. Enjoy!

Could you tell us about your background and how you started writing?

I started writing when I was 14. I had a rough childhood and writing adventures was a fine escape from the life I was living.

Oddly enough one of those stories won a Regional writing contest. As I held that 1st Place certificate in my hand way back in 1980, I knew that this was what I was supposed to be - an author. I was 17. I spent the rest of my life collecting as many experiences as I could to make my adventures as real as I could get them.

Describe a day in the life of Morgan Hawke.

My days are boring. I get up and start the coffee. I light a cigarette and turn on the computer. I write for 8 to 16 hours, stopping to brew a new pot of coffee or open a fresh pack of cigarettes. I shut down the computer and go to bed.

I go out of the house about once every two weeks to pay bills & buy food & cigarettes. On those days I may actually watch a movie, but then it's back to writing. And that's it. I'm totally, completely and utterly boring.

Did you always have aspirations to be a writer?

No, I thought I was going to be an artist. (I'm actually pretty good too.) Even when I was writing and writing all those stories for my younger brothers, I was convinced that my future was firmly in art. Then I won the writing contest in 1980 and realized that all my pictures were Stories. I had been writing stories in picture form all along.

Have you created any of your own cover art or submitted any book covers that were accepted? Which books were these for?

Alas, I'm just a writer, not a cover artist.

Did you first target your writing to the erotic romance genre or did you try other genres?

My first stories were all Young Adult adventure tales written for my younger brothers. Now you know why there's so much action and snappy dialogue in my fiction - it's the only way to keep an 8 year old's attention.

Unfortunately the only publisher I could find actively looking for stories wanted short Erotica - ordinary erotica, not even Erotic Romance. That's how I ended up writing 18 short stories. Then eXtasy Books came along and my stories became Erotic Romance.

What attracted you to writing erotic romance?

Angela Knight and her story Blood & Kisses from the Red Sage Secrets Anthology 4. As soon as I read that story I knew that THIS was exactly what I wanted to write.

Erotic romance has many sub-genres and your books have stories in some of them like sci-fi, fantasy and vampire tales. Do you find that these 'call' to you more than others? And what genre do you most enjoy writing about?

This is actually a tough question! I like writing in all the different genres. I have a little something in most of the subgenres though not "suspense" or "mystery". Both of those take a LOT of work to get right.

I swap around between genres because some are far more difficult to write than others. Sci-Fi for example takes an enormous amount of research, but some of my vampire stories can take just as much. For example, even though Night Train was only a Novella, and contemporary, I still had to research the Orient Express, its route, its time schedule, what the Pullmen sleeper cars actually looked like on the inside, and the city of Prague.

How does the writing process typically evolve for you? Do you take notes or is everything off the top of your head?

I'm an obsessive plotter. Everything is outlined and thoroughly researched, (characters, locations, technical aspects, magical aspects, paranormal aspects...etc.,) before I write one word.

My problem is an overwhelming amount of imagination. I usually get several ideas at a time. Rather than lose the new idea, I have a story outline template that I drop notes into so as to save that story for later. Fallen Star, coming VERY soon from Loose Id Books was one such story.

Are your friends and family aware of your writing career; are they supportive?

I have no close family, (to interfere with my writing time). I live alone. My closest relative is 7 states away. Everyone who knows me, knows that I write Erotic fiction. My closest friends support me 100% and my mother is always bugging me for my latest work.

What do you consider to be the positive side of being a writer?

Money? - Writers do not make buckets of money. I would not be able to live on what I make if I did not live alone in a very small apartment.

Fame? - For every person that knows my name there are ten more that go: "Never heard of you." Or "Oh...I don't read That stuff." The fun part is when a total stranger asks: "Are you the Morgan Hawke that writes...those stories?" That's happened a few times in very unexpected places.

The only real benefit is that I have become quite a quick thinker. My memory has expanded beyond belief. I write because I can't stop writing. Writing stories is an obsession, rather like playing the coolest video game ever, or watching a really cool movie. (I SEE my stories as I write them - that's why they are so very visual.)

Now that you've admitted your obsession, how do you keep it a "healthy obsession"?

By making it PAY the rent rather than SPEND the rent. (Grin.)

I suppose you meant health? Um, I'm disgustingly healthy. Since I spend looong hours in a chair at a desk, I know to keep my wrists below my heart and level with the keyboard with a thick cushion, so I don't run into arm circulation problems. I use a track ball mouse rather than an actual mouse so as not to stress my right wrist and shoulder. I also have a chair that supports my back and neck - and I sit in it cross legged or with my legs fully extended to avoid circulation problems in my legs. When I'm over-tired I sleep as long as I need to, and I take walks on occasion.

How long were you writing before you became published?

I was published with the first story I ever completed back in 1980. I've never completed a story that wasn't published somewhere, so...always?

How did it feel to get that call from the publisher?

It was a letter actually. My mouth fell open and I totally blanked for about an hour. I had to sit down before I fell down. Then I jumped up and down and screamed my fool head off. (Grin.)

This must have been a very exciting time for you. You have a vivid imagination and have proven to be a very prolific writer. What kept you initially motivated to write? Was the fact that you were so easily published been an impetus to continue your writing career or the support from your fans as your popularity grew?

My motivation to write has always been closer to having an "addiction" than anything else. Once I finish a story I become swamped with ideas for new stories. I will admit that the ease of publication for those stories was a very nice surprise, but it wasn't my motivation. I would have continued to write even without publication.

Fans play a huge part in the amount of effort I put into my stories. They seem to enjoy the sudden twists and turns my stories take, so I work very hard to always keep them surprised.

What do you most enjoy / least enjoy about writing?

I most enjoy disappearing into the world I am creating. Seriously I SEE the whole story like a movie. The part I hate the most is that it takes so LONG to get it all on paper. I wish like the dickens that I could type faster!

How does it feel be receive fan mail for your sexy books?

It's a very awe inspiring experience to write back to someone who actually read what I wrote.

Do you often find that readers are begging for stories for secondary characters in your books?

They don't just want ONE character - they want them ALL! LOL!

Where do you gain your inspiration from for your books?

I spent every moment from 1980 onward filling my life with every experience that came my way. Belly-dance, fencing, horse-back riding, historical reenactment groups, working for a renaissance festival or two... I lived in England for over a year, several years in the Military as an auto mechanic, four years as a professional stripper, and two years working in the corporate office of a porn company as their publicity specialist and copy writer! And I read - a LOT.

Everything I do, everything I see, everyone I meet...inspires me. However, because I filled my life with experiences, I can write about almost anything very realistically.

Authors frequently form attachments to their characters. Of all of the characters you have written about so far which is your favorite and why?

At this point in time, I don't have a favorite, though I do like Seht from Victorious Star a lot.

Which authors have influenced you over the span of your career and what genre and authors do you read for pleasure?

Angela Knight is my biggest inspiration. As far as I'm concerned, she is the very best erotic romance author out there. She has the perfect blend of Sexy plus Adventure! I have enjoyed every single story she ever put out. And she's wonderful in person too!

My other inspirations: CJ Cherryh, Barbara Hambly, Tanith Lee, Andre Norton, Patricia Wrede, Tanya Huff, Laurell K Hamilton, Charlaine Harris, Jim Butcher and Niel Gaiman.

Also: Amanda Quick, Jude Devereaux, Rebecca Brandewyne, Robin Schone, Iris Johansen, (her early stuff - not her suspense,) Christina Dodd, Mary Jo Putney, Jane Feather, Catherine Coulter.

As you can see, I read Sci-Fi, paranormals, fantasy and humorous, historical romance for pleasure.

Ms. Knight writes the hottest fantasies out there - in all my favorite genres, so when I'm in the mood for something Spicy - I read Angela Knight with a great deal of pleasure.

Your website www.darkerotica.net is wonderful, very full and well designed; I understand that you've designed your cyber home. Did you have formal training before setting it up and maintaining it?

Oh! Thank you, I'm glad you liked it!

I was working in the corporate offices of an adult internet company when I made my site. It was there that I learned how to build websites - and what to put on them. I also had "on the job training" on what actually worked for advertising adult sites too. (Cheeky grin.)

Is the gothic theme of your website inspired by your love of horror stories?

Very much so, and the fact that most of my stories have a dark edge to them.

How do you decide what will go into the site?

Research! Research! Research! I look at what works for me on other sites: what I like, what I don't like, what I find convenient or inconvenient, and incorporate (or remove) those elements into (or from) my site.

For example, shopping sites tend to be Light in color and design with lots of empty space. Every link leads to another product. You shop, you leave. Naughty sites tend to be Dark with very little wasted space and lots of interesting little entertaining side bits - all designed to KEEP the viewer busy and ON the site for as long as possible. In a shopping site you have the Products to keep them coming back, on a site that is not primarily a store - you need other things to get the viewer to come back.

Why are Naughty sites dark? Because naughty sites are viewed at Night, usually when the house is dark and everyone else is in bed. A bright site will fill a dark room with light. A dark site does not give away that the viewer is doing (or viewing) something Naughty.

How has the internet impacted your writing?

If it were not for the internet, I doubt I would ever have had the guts to be published. I certainly would not be able to do the extensive - and fast - research that is needed for many of my books.

You write for a number of publishers. Can you outline them and what you most enjoy about working with them?

I like writing for Loose Id because they represent the highest quality in fiction. My writing does nothing but improve under their editors. In addition, they don't play coy when it comes to business. Their contract is VERY straightforward and easy to live with.

eXtasy was the first to approach me and the first to tell me what needed work and why. I have learned more with Stef the EIC, as my editor than I have from any other editor, writing course or book. I have always been impressed with eXtasy's honesty and willingness to bend over backwards for me. eXtasy is so honest they have their contract accessible on their website.

I will not work with a publisher that plays games with their authors, their authors' work, or their authors' royalties. Neither Loose Id nor eXtasy want to claim my name, or my work for the rest of my life and beyond, and they don't dictate who I can write for, and who I cannot. Any form of record I want, both will provide.

Do you find these publishers equally demanding?

Neither is demanding, but Loose Id and eXtasy Books are publishers I will work night and day for - because I want to give them both the very best I can put into fiction. They deserve the best from me. They've Earned it.

Do you find that each publisher satisfies this craving you have to tell different stories?

Yes, though both will consider anything I send them. I prefer to put my more complicated and edgy Sci-Fi on Loose Id because those readers expect dark and edgy. I have a more gothic romantic reputation among the eXtasy buyers.

You have a huge fan base. Has this affected your writing in any way? Do you feel any obligations to your readers when you write your stories?

Absolutely! The reason I have so many excerpts on books not yet written is to see which one generates the most interest. Fan letters is how I decide what to write Next!

In addition, I surf other author sites to keep track of what's being published by my competition. Who has buzz and what did they do, or have, to get such buzz? If it's something I can do, I incorporate it into my work and see how my readers feel about it.

Do the stories you write involve a lot of research? What approach do you take to researching your books?

EVERYTHING I write involves some form of research. The last thing I ever want to get is a letter telling me that I got something wrong!

I am a research freak. Always have been, probably always will be. I have been collecting books and research material on every subject that caught my attention from a very early age. It's truly interesting when I read an "Authority" on a subject only to discover that half the books they got their data from are sitting on my bookshelf.

On top of that, I spent half my life experiencing everything that came my way. These days, if I need a quick fix, a trip to the library or a web-surf will fill in the smaller holes.

One page off your site is "Erotic Quills" on how to write erotica. One specific section is "The 'Mary Sue' Litmus Test". How much of the lead character is really you poorly disguised? How often are you part of the lead character, and which character is most like you?

NEVER. I would not make a good heroine for Any of my stories. I borrow from my experiences, but my personality is far too sarcastic and confrontational to play anything other than a villain.

Victorious Star made a huge impact to readers, most especially to the JERR reviewers. How did you come about the idea for this story?

Would you believe the whole thing came from a dream inspired by a single scene in a children's anime movie called: Last Exile? The movie itself is about a steam age culture with flying battleships. Apparently I thought they were doing one of the ship captains wrong - so, I dreamed that same scene with the ship captain only he completed the scene in a manner more in line with what I thought his personality should have been.

The dream was so vivid I wrote it down - and couldn't stop writing. Victorious Star is one of those stories that just poured out of me. I wrote the whole thing (100k words) in four months. That captain became Captain Ravnos of the Hellsbreath.

In several of your books such as Victorious Star and Night Train there are three main characters that fall in love with each other, instead of the usual two. What inspired you to begin writing books incorporating ménage a trios storylines?

I had become very disappointed with the endings to the ménages I had been reading. The Heroine always went off with one hero and the other hero was always left behind. As far as I was concerned, since one of the three was left out in the cold - that was NOT a happy ending. I wanted a Happy ending for a trio.

Victorious Star was my first attempt at writing a 3-way relationship that STAYED a 3-way relationship. I started writing more of them because my fans started hounding me for more.

Speaking of Victorious Star; many of your fans are avidly waiting for your next book in the fantastic futuristic Interstellar Discipline series. Can you tell us a little bit more about the series please and when we can expect the next book to be published?

Fallen Star, is next in the Interstellar Service and Discipline. This tale is about what happens when the Skeldhi slave-hunters get you!
Fallen Star will be released from Loose Id very, VERY soon. I can't give you a specific release date since it's still in production, but expect to see it sometime in April!

Editor's Note: Fallen Star is now available from Loose Id

House of Shadows was awarded the RIO Award of Excellence in the Debut Author category and was the 2005 CAPA Nominee. How did you feel when you heard this great news?

I was so stunned I had the worst case of writer's block for two whole weeks! In the RIOs, I was up against some fantastic best-selling, New York published authors. I didn't expect to make the finals - never mind win one of them!

Believe it or not, I have a cast-iron ego. I can take all the nasty comments in the world and they won't bother me a bit, but one word of praise will send me into a crying jag so fast... I have big problems handling praise. I am always surprised when I get a good review. Always. I'm just not used to people liking my stuff!

Did you become self-conscious about your writing when you began winning awards? Have the awards impacted your writing and the outcome of your stories?

When I discovered that the tamest book I had written won such a big award, I'll admit that I panicked. I sent letters all over the groups asking what the readers wanted from me - and one to my agent.

I discovered two things. The e-book readers preferred my hotter stuff. Victorious Star outsells House of Shadows - winner of the RIO, by a humongous amount. But according to my agent, the brick and mortar publishers wanted the softer stuff. House of Shadows merely proved that I could successfully write both without the quality suffering in either.

So now I have a Dual career ahead of me.

Writing can be a challenging, rewarding, and sometimes frustrating career choice, especially when that muse decides to take a holiday. Have you had any problems in y our writing or do you find that you have more ideas than time to write them?

I only have problems when people are NICE to me - like awards and really good reviews. (Grin.) Other than that, I doubt I will ever run out of stories to write. If only I could type FASTER!

You have been reading Tarot Cards since 1980. With the increase in your publications do you still have time to read cards as much as you would like?

Reading tarot has never been anything like a real profession. It's something I do on the weekends when I need pocket cash in a hurry.

(I will have the tarot deck that Rowan used in House of Shadows during the RT convention. You JERR ladies should come by the eXtasy table and get me to read your fortunes! For free of course.)

Why thank you so graciously for the offer. We wish you all the best at the Romantic Times Book Lovers Convention. And we hope to hear about some very exciting fortunes told! Do you find that having the ability to read tarot cards also widens your imagination and scope of your stories?

Tarot has been a wonderful way to get out of my own head and discover how Other People think, what they dream about, what they want, what choices they make in their lives and why.

When making certain life-affecting choices, I will lean toward choosing a particular direction, but under the same circumstances someone else is likely to have different values and so they choose another. Tarot gives me an insider's view on how and why alternate paths would be chosen.

Tarot also reveals where those choices will take them, giving me the beginning, middle and end of their personal stories. Because of this intimate view, when I write my characters I have more than my own personal experience to rely on.

In addition to Fallen Star can you give us a glimpse into some of the other projects you are currently working on? What can readers hope to see in the near future?

Up next is an action-heavy Novella done in the Anime style - Hungry Spirits. A ghost-hunting Ninja girl, a magician-priest and his companion, a very old samurai ghost are trying to discover who is magically enslaving ghosts to use as assassins. Coming Soon to eXtasy Books

Now for the fun questions! What is your favorite sex toy?

My IMAGINATION!

If you were stranded on an island what three things would you take with you?

My computer, my cat and at least one piece of inspirational material, like Johnny Depp! I find him VERY inspiring. (Grin.)

What is the sexiest part of a man?

His sense of humor.

What do you consider great attributes in a hero, in a heroine?

Cleverness. There is always someone stronger, faster and more influential - but a hefty dose of cleverness will get anyone out of just about any jam.

How many piercings do you have? Any tattoos?

I have my ears pierced and my, um...nipples. I have two tattoos on each arm.

Can you describe your tattoos? Is there any special meaning to them or just something you liked?

On my right forearm is the tear dripping eye from "Cry for Dawn", a favorite comic. Dawn is the goddess of mercy. My right upper arm is home to my mechanical 'net spyder, Ferdinand. She is the spirit that haunts my computer, (and keeps it running.) My left forearm has the eye of Ra, the Egyptian god of retribution. My upper left arm is encircled by four galloping wolves done in the tribal Irish fashion, as in the "Book of Kells". They are my spirit guardians.

What sound or noise do you love? What sound or noise do you hate?

The coolest sound in the world is that gasp that your lover makes right before he achieves release. The sound that annoys me the most is the cat meowing in my ear, waking me up before I finish my wet dream.

What is your favorite curse word?

"Shit!" The sound is sooooooo satisfying as it explodes from the lips.

At the end of the day, considering the body of work you have done to date, what would you like your fans to remember most about you?

That there will always be another story - Coming Soon.

If your fans wanted to contact you how would they do so?

I can be reached by Email, from my website and my blog-site:
Morgan's email: morganhawke@mindspring.com
Morgan's website: www.darkerotica.com
Morgan's blogsite: www.darkerotica.blogspot.com

We would like to thank Morgan Hawke for taking the time out of her busy schedule to talk with us and share a little of her world with the readers at Just Erotic Romance Reviews. It has been our pleasure to talk with Ms. Hawke and discover what a wonderful, honest, and outspoken person she is. Her humor and openness, not to mention her patience with these rookie interviewers has been a great experience. We wish to thank her and look forward to reading more of her sexy stories.

The Coordinators and Reviewers at Just Erotic Romance Reviews wish to congratulate Morgan Hawke on her achievements and in giving us some memorable and sexy erotic stories. We wish her all the best and much future success with her writing career.

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