Shaken and Stirred

I just survived my first earthquake! Yay me!

I am generally not awake at 4:15 in the morning. My alarm is set for 7:15 and with a tap or two to the doze button I’m up by 7:40 and if I’m honest, I’m usually functional by 9. 

So, to get woken up at 4:15 by my bed shaking and my windows rattling, not to mention the entire house rocking, well, let’s just say it was not my calmest moment. I wondered if a tree had fallen on my house but when I put the lights on, I didn’t see any branches poking through my ceiling so I checked that off my list. Then I wondered if my propane tank had exploded. I took my trusty searchlight and looked out into the yard and was pleased to see the tank wasn’t flying through the air.

Our home is about 2 miles from a nuclear power plant (as the crow flies) but since I hadn’t been vaporized, I knew it wasn’t that. Next up, I called the police because if there was a terrorist blowing up the forest, I’m certain they would know about it. They said they suspected an earthquake and were waiting for confirmation because I guess the earth jarring movement wasn’t enough evidence. They advised me to turn on the local news and sure enough! A 4.4 earthquake had hit our little town, with the epicenter about 3 miles from our house. 

We hear about earthquakes all the time in California and Alaska and earthquakes are actually common in East Tennessee, I learned, but they are generally in the 1 to 2 range and aren’t noticed. A 4.4 quake is noticeable, trust me on that one. 

After a bit I decided the excitement was over and went back to bed. My last thought before I dozed off was: I know I can work this into one of my books.

To all of my readers, I wish you a Merry Christmas or whichever Holiday you choose to celebrate and a safe and blessed New Year! 

Dee Morgan

Never Broken, An Unacceptable Truth, Martinis with Mom and Martinis at the Ranch are available on Amazon, Kindle, IBooks and Amazon Paperback Books. 

Follow me on Twitter @dmorganbooks, on Facebook Dee Morgan, or contact me by email at dmorganauthor@gmail.com

Know Your Characters

The other evening I was doing some research on owls (don’t ask why), and I came across an interesting question someone had posted: How do you write the sound an owl makes? I thought the answer would have been simple: Hoot…such as The Hoot of an Owl.

I was wrong. There were at least half a dozen ways to write an owl sound, aside from the obvious “hoot”. Hmmm, interesting. And that started me thinking about how many ways to write a scene or an emotion or a reaction.

How do you write about someone who’s had their heart broken? So many ways, but it depends on your character. A sixteen-year-old who has just been dumped by her boyfriend of three months is likely going to have quite the dramatic reaction. Probably with lots of tears and drama and throwing herself across her bed with promises that she’ll never fall in love again. Typical and probably stereotypical but also most likely accurate. Again, depends on your character.

Now take a forty-year-old man whose wife of twenty-five years just told him she that she wants a divorce so she can marry her personal trainer. I doubt he’s going to throw himself across the bed in tears, but hey, it could happen. Your character might just go out and get drunk. He might go for the revenge route and try to cut the wife off financially. How would your character react?

The bottom line is this: know your character and don’t make their actions or reactions out of touch with the person you’ve built through your writing. You can write the most heart-wrenching scene when someone has lost their true love, but if it doesn’t fit your character it will never work.

Happy writing until next time!

Dee

Never Broken, An Unacceptable Truth, Martinis with Mom and Martinis at the Ranch are available on Amazon, Kindle, IBooks and Amazon Paperback Books. 

Follow me on Twitter @dmorganbooks, on Facebook Dee Morgan, or contact me by email at dmorganauthor@gmail.com

Characters A-Plenty

I’ve read a few books where there are so many characters, I just couldn’t keep them straight. Then I’ve read a few where there are plenty of characters and I enjoyed – and got to know – all of them. What’s the difference? I asked myself that same question, so I went back to some of the books and studied them from a writer’s point of view.

In the books where the characters tumbled together, I noticed a couple of things. First, the characters weren’t “defined” clearly enough. I didn’t know if it was Susie or Mary that went somewhere because I had never identified either one. If I’d known that Susie was tall and lean with red hair, I’d have been able to picture her. But the writer never gave a description of either Susie or Mary so in the reader’s eye, they became interchangeable. If a character has more than a passing occurrence, make sure the reader can differentiate between similar characters.

Another thing I noticed was when there are several people in a scene, the dialogue isn’t always clear on who said what. That can confuse the heck out of a reader and make for a lot of back-and-forth between pages. If the reader doesn’t understand who is speaking, a simple tag can clarify it. And the tag doesn’t have to be “Susie said” – it can be a bit more interesting, such as “she remarked with a smile as she tossed her red hair over her shoulder.” The reader knows the only person with red hair is Susie, so ‘nuf said.

The idea is this – don’t confuse your readers. You don’t want to explain every little detail to your readers because most people want to figure a few things out for themselves. Our readers are smart and love to figure out where a story is going, but don’t make the mistake of confusing them unintentionally.

Happy Writing!

Dee Morgan 

Never Broken, Martinis with Mom and Martinis at the Ranch are available on Amazon, Kindle, IBooks and Amazon Paperback Books. An Unacceptable Truth is available on Amazon and Kindle and IBooks.

Follow me on Twitter @dmorganbooks, on Facebook Dee Morgan, or contact me by email at dmorganauthor@gmail.com

Oh What A Feeling!

As a writer I go through a lot of feelings – and I mean a LOT! Almost on a daily, if not hourly, basis.

When I start a book, when I finish a book, and every paragraph and scene in between is important. Biggest question I ask myself: Did I convey to the reader what I want to show or feel? That’s a doozie. It’s not just telling a story, it’s showing the reader your soul. It’s putting it out there for every reader to see how you think – how your mind works. That can be a scary feeling.

For me, ninety-nine percent of my feelings are good ones. When I finish a difficult scene, I can read back over it, tweak it a bit, and then finally say, yes, that’s what I meant.

When I release a new book, the feeling is generally euphoria. It’s my hard work, my words, my thoughts, my characters, my story all packaged up neatly waiting for someone to pick it up and enjoy. It doesn’t get much better than that and it’s what keeps us word junkies going.

So, enjoy reading that book because fiction writers love writing their stories for you. Every. Single. Day.

Dee Morgan

Never Broken, Martinis with Mom and Martinis at the Ranch are available on Amazon, Kindle, IBooks and Amazon Paperback Books. An Unacceptable Truth is available on Amazon and Kindle and IBooks.

Follow me on

Twitter @dmorganbooks, on Facebook Dee Morgan, or contact me by email at dmorganauthor@gmail.com

Playing Tag

No, not the children’s game. I’m writing about dialogue tags: “he said”, “she said”. Those kind of tags. 

I write a lot of dialogue in my books. I like to tell a person’s situation through dialogue, but I try not to overuse it. That can make a book difficult to read. When I use dialogue, I try to avoid using tags whenever possible. I’d rather use dialogue to s how the reader who is talking through their actions/reactions while they are talking. 

That’s not to say tags aren’t useful because they definitely are. I can use or not use a tag to show a person’s tone or demeanor. Matt’s face twisted in pain. “Get the h ell out of here. I don’t even want to see you anymore.”   

Using tags are a good way to get the reader to understand a pause. Matt’s face twisted in pain. “Get the hell out of here,” he said. I don’t even want to see you anymore.” 

Or try using a tag to emphasize an emotion. Matt’s face twisted in pain. “Get the hell out of here,” he moaned. “I don’t even want to see you anymore.” 

Get the idea? Play with your dialogue tags. Try eliminating them, substituting them, or using them. You’re the writer so if it feels right, use them.  

On a completely different subject, I just released my fourth book – NEVER BROKEN – on Amazon as an eBook and a paperback. I hope you’ll take a look and enjoy it! 

Dee Morgan 

Never Broken, Martinis with Mom and Martinis at the Ranch are available on Amazon, Kindle, IBooks and Amazon Paperback Books. An Unacceptable Truth is available on Amazon and Kindle and IBooks.

Follow me on 

Twitter @dmorganbooks, on Facebook Dee Morgan, or contact me by email at dmorganauthor@gmail.com

Merry Christmas to All

Tis’ the season and all that comes with it! Christmas music, brightly wrapped packages under a festive tree, visits from friends and family, and lots of Holiday cheer.

Tis’ the season and all that comes after it! Credit card bills, putting away all those decorations, and figuring out where the heck I hid everything I put away when making room for the decorations! Don’t forget the gift returns – especially that hideous sweater.

I’ll take what follows the holidays because the Season is so very worth it. The thing I look forward to most of all when the holidays are over is getting back to my writing. The key-tapping definitely goes on hold during the holidays because there never seems to be enough quiet time to focus. It took me several years to stop feeling annoyed and guilty about not writing for weeks.

I do manage to make some notes because the characters and story in my head never seem to celebrate Christmas – they just kind of mull around waiting for me to notice them. They make sure I don’t forget about them by floating into my head several times a day, usually at inappropriate times – while I’m driving, while I’m in the shower, and their favorite, when I’m falling asleep.

Don’t worry about putting your writing to the side if you can’t find the time for a few weeks. Your story and characters are waiting for you and you might find that the time off has served to freshen your bank of ideas.

So, enjoy the Season and all that it involves for you. Take pride in what you’ve accomplished during this past year and resolve to make 2018 a better year for yourself and those you cherish.
Merry Christmas, Happy New Year and enjoy whatever Holiday you choose to celebrate!

Dee Morgan 

P.S. If you’re looking for a last-minute gift under $10, don’t forget that Martinis with Mom and Martinis at the Ranch are available in paperback on Amazon.com 

Martinis with Mom and Martinis at the Ranch are available on Amazon, Kindle, IBooks and Amazon Paperback Books. An Unacceptable Truth is available on Amazon and Kindle and IBooks.

Follow me on 

Twitter @dmorganbooks, on Facebook Dee Morgan, or contact me by email at dmorganauthor@gmail.com

Time Frames

I’m winding down on my next book – still struggling with the final title, though. Right now the title is Falling Forward, but that could easily change.  

Now is the time I need to start promoting it for the release and it’s both exciting and cumbersome. I’m a writer, not a marketing specialist. I’m actually quite illiterate when it comes to the social platforms, which is why I depend on others to do that kind of stuff for me.  

But I will give a little taste here of what’s to come. The book is about the strength of women – my main character in particular. It’s about long held secrets – somewhat dark secrets – and how she deals with them when they finally come to light. It’s family and love and strength and understanding. It’s facing the truth and forgiving the lies. It’s sad and happy and funny and romantic.  

So, when will this next work be available for my loyal readers? Probably the middle of January. I can’t wait and I hope you can’t either.  

Until next month, Happy Thanksgiving and enjoy the love that surrounds you.
 
Dee Morgan 

Martinis with Mom and Martinis at the Ranch Are available on Amazon, Kindle, IBooks and Amazon Paperback Books.  An Unacceptable Truth is available on Amazon and Kindle and IBooks. 

Follow me on 
Twitter @dmorganbooks, on Facebook Dee Morgan, or contact me 
by email at dmorganauthor@gmail.com

DON’T LEAVE THEM HOME ALONE

I was on vacation for a week and when I returned and got back to my writing, I found my characters had gotten all kinds of ideas in their heads about their future. I took notes and thought I’d share some of their ideas. 

▪ Join the circus? (No!)
▪ Elope to Vegas? (Maybe…) 
▪ Commit a crime? (What is wrong with you guys?!)
▪ Maybe just some light shoplifting? (Seriously?)
▪ Make a huge scene in a classy restaurant? (That could be interesting )
▪ Slap your boyfriend’s teenage daughter when she calls you a ho? (Possibly)
▪ How about the ex-wife instead of the daughter? (Better yet)
▪ Dump the boyfriend for not defending you? (Really? Is this the 1800's?) 

While I nixed some of the ideas, what they did was stir up the creative juices and slam me right back into high gear with my writing. I’ve been juicing up the scenes, forcing my characters (and me) to think outside the lines. It’s been fun after more than a week away from my manuscript.  

But joining the circus? I better not leave my characters alone for too long next time. 

Happy Autumn and Happy Reading! 
Dee Morgan 

Martinis with Mom and Martinis at the Ranch are available on Amazon, Kindle, IBooks and Amazon Paperback Books.  An Unacceptable Truth is available on Amazon and Kindle and IBooks.

Follow me on
Twitter @dmorganbooks, on Facebook Dee Morgan, or contact me
by email at dmorganauthor@gmail.com

MENTAL ECLIPSE

The big Solar Eclipse is coming next week and I was thinking how much this is like my occasional Mental Eclipse. 

As a writer, I’m sure you’ve experienced the sporadic writer’s block. I know I have. The Mental Eclipse isn’t quite as severe. It’s the time when you’re in the middle of a scene and you suddenly don’t know where it’s going. My mind kind of does a black out. Was she going to down that bottle of Merlot? Was she going to throw it at him? Hmmm, could go either way.  

Another way I encounter the Mental Eclipse is when I am happily chugging along with my words and I suddenly find my fingers still as I gaze out the window, watching the birds and squirrels. Sometimes I’m not sure how long I’ve been zoned out on the wildlife before I realize what I’m doing, but the critters are long gone before I manage to pull myself back to the keyboard. 

Then there’s the struggle to keep my mind on my writing when my brain is thinking about the refrigerator. Suddenly my heroine is scarfing down a half-gallon of Cherry Garcia instead of telling her daughter why she needs to ignore the bully that told her she’s fat.  

The Mental Eclipse can be a challenge, but like the Great American Solar Eclipse next week, it won’t last long. 

Enjoy the view and Happy Writing! 
Dee Morgan 

Martinis with Mom, Martinis at the Ranch are all available on Amazon, Kindle, IBooks and Amazon Paperback Books.  An Unacceptable Truth is available on Amazon and Kindle and IBooks.

Follow me on
Twitter @dmorganbooks, on Facebook Dee Morgan, or contact me
by email at dmorganauthor@gmail.com

POINT OF VIEW AND OTHER OPINIONS

I just finished a book that had an interesting story. It moved along pretty well and kept you guessing until the end. The characters were painted beautifully and I got a real feel for their struggles. 

The story was told, basically, from three different points of view. That can be hard to pull off. Jodi Picoult is a master at telling her stories from different points of view and she is one of my favorite authors.

This book was hard to follow. The Points of View (POV) were confusing at times. The narrative was a lot of “he” and “she” and I was never quite sure who the he or she was. I felt like the writer could have used character names to clarify the narrative.

I love to tell my stories through a lot of dialogue. I try to be aware that it is important for the reader to know who is doing the talking.  Otherwise, confusion and frustration can become too much for the reader to want to continue and worse, they won’t want to buy my books in the future. 

As a writer, it is difficult to critique another writer because we all have a story to tell and we tell it in different ways. But a story should never be confusing to the reader, unless that is part of the plot.  Had the story itself not been good, I would have given up out of frustration.

So when you’re doing one of your many edits, try to look at it through the reader’s eye. If you’re confused, your readers are sure to be frustrated.

Happy reading and writing!
Dee Morgan

Martinis with Mom and Martinis at the Ranch are available on Amazon, Kindle, IBooks and Amazon Paperback Books.  An Unacceptable Truth is available on Amazon and Kindle and IBooks.

Follow me on
Twitter @dmorganbooks, on Facebook Dee Morgan, or contact me
by email at dmorganauthor@gmail.com  

A Name by Any Other Name

When I start a new book, I don’t have the entire story worked out yet. The basis of it, yes, but not all of the details and scenes. 

As the story develops I usually realize there are some things I’m not happy with and it always involves the name of at least one of the characters. This has happened in every book I’ve written. 

My characters evolve as the story goes on. Let me give you an example.

My main character is handsome with dark hair, a devilish smile, and blue eyes you can get lost in. He’s smart, successful and has a body sculpted like a god. He’s fearless, women adore him, and he has broken more than one heart along the way. Not because he is uncaring but because he hasn’t met “the one” yet. 

I named him Elmer.

Elmer?? How’s that for a disconnect.

Character names are important. They have to fit the persona you are creating. Elmer obviously didn’t fit so I am changing his name to better fit the character I am creating. Does Chaz sound better? How about Eric or Dean or Mark? I’m still working on it. 

Suggestions from my readers are very welcome. Drop me some names for this hunky guy at dmorganauthor@gmail.com or in the Comments below.

Thanks and happy summer reading! 
Dee Morgan

Martinis with Mom and Martinis at the Ranch Are available on Amazon, Kindle, IBooks and Amazon Paperback Books.  An Unacceptable Truth is available on Amazon and Kindle and IBooks.

Follow me on
Twitter @dmorganbooks, on Facebook Dee Morgan, or contact me
by email at dmorganauthor@gmail.com

WHY I’M WRITING MY BLOG TODAY

I have a plethora of reasons I came up with for why I’m not working on my book today: 

1. It’s too nice out to be inside. (True, but I’m at my desk with the windows open.) 
2. The dishwasher needs to be emptied. (Ugh!) 
3. There’s laundry to be done. (Double Ugh!)
4. There’s a baseball game on. (I’m recording it!) 
5. The NASCAR race at Talladega is coming on. (Also recording it!) 
6. The dogs need their baths. (Not in the mood for dog wrestling.) 
7. I have phone calls to return. (Not feeling chatty today.) 
8. I should be thinking about making dinner. (Thought about it - pizza place is open.) 
9. My husband wrote “Dust Me” on the coffee table. (Gave him the dust rag.)
10. There’s a big piece of chocolate cake on the counter calling my name. (My reward when I finish my blog – YAY!)

Here are the reasons I’m writing my blog today:

1. When I work on my book I get lost in it for hours. My blog goes much faster.
2. CHOCOLATE CAKE!! 
3. All of the above can be dealt with at a later time – except the cake thing. 
4. CHOCOLATE CAKE!!

So here’s my advice: write what you want, when you want and worry about the details later.  Except for the cake – some things just can’t wait.

Happy writing and happy days!

Dee Morgan
Martinis with Mom, Martinis at the Ranch are all available on Amazon, Kindle, IBooks and Amazon Paperback Books.  An Unacceptable Truth is available on Amazon and Kindle and IBooks.

Follow me on
Twitter @dmorganbooks, on Facebook Dee Morgan, or contact me
by email at dmorganauthor@gmail.com

WHY WRITE IF IT’S NOT TO GET RICH?

Every writer should ask themselves this question: Why Do I Write?

I can’t answer for other writers but for me the answer is simple: I write because I love to write. I publish because my hope is that readers will find something in my books, be it enjoyment, escapism, or maybe a common element that comforts them.

But I don’t write to get rich. Now mind you, if that were to happen I’d shed only tears of happiness, but I don’t find money to be a driving force for me.

So why do I write? Because I have to. Because if I don’t write there’s a void inside of me that can’t be filled by anyone or anything other than my fingers tapping the keyboard and seeing where my characters are going to take me. For fiction writers, it’s a feeling that is indescribable. 

Writing is frustrating, joyous, fulfilling and a dozen other feelings for me and if my books bring enjoyment to others, well, that’s a pretty good feeling to experience.

So why do I write if it’s not for the money? It’s the most common reason known to mankind: I write because it makes me feel good.

Happy reading!

Dee Morgan
Martinis with Mom, Martinis at the Ranch are all available on Amazon, Kindle, IBooks and Amazon Paperback Books.  An Unacceptable Truth is available on Amazon and Kindle and IBooks.

Follow me on
Twitter @dmorganbooks, on Facebook Dee Morgan, or contact me
by email at dmorganauthor@gmail.com

 

To Print or Not to Print

I finally “mastered” the formatting and uploading of my manuscripts to eBooks and decided why not make them available in print. I’ve had quite a few requests along the lines of “why can’t I buy a copy of it in print?” 

Okay, I can give that a try. Create Space is pretty easy to follow – until it comes to the cover upload! 

My cover photos were taken by a professional photographer as a favor to me. The only thing I know about photography is how to take a photo, and I’m not all that good at that task. When I started seeing things like “need to flatten to a single layer”, I knew I was in trouble! I contacted my photographer friend and found they were out on their sailboat for a month. Hmmmm.

Time for plan B. The only problem was, I didn’t have a plan B. I played with the cover photo for about a week and finally got it to convert to a PDF, thanks to help from my husband. Then came the next part and that’s when I threw up my hands and decided I’d better come up with something else or my print book would be listed under the “Antique Book” heading.

So I decided what the heck – The print book can have a different cover than the ebook! Genius! Once I used a photo from Create Space, it was clear sailing!

Something I learned along the way – never, ever, ever assume you got it right the first time. When I ordered copies of my book I realized I had the font size wrong and it could be read by anyone over the age of 100 because the type was so large! Oops. I also failed to have the book title in the header and page number in the footer. Other than those few missteps, the book is a thing of beauty! 

I felt so good I immediately put my second book into print and in another month or so I’ll work my third into print. Yay me!
 
Martinis with Mom and Martinis at the Ranch are available on Amazon, Kindle, and Amazon Paperback Books.  An Unacceptable Truth is available on Amazon and Kindle and Ibooks.

Follow me on
Twitter @dmorganbooks, on Facebook Dee Morgan, or contact me
by email at dmorganauthor@gmail.com
 

The Rejection Letter

I’m betting that every writer on the planet has received a rejection letter at one time or another and they all have a story about their reaction. I remember my first letter and when I look back on it now, it seems like a turning point for my writing. Not so at the time.

I was devastated! The humiliation of my precious work being rejected was a blow to my ego like nothing had ever been. I cried, I kicked and screamed – I turned into quite the drama queen, as I recall. My poor husband thought I had received a letter from the angel of death giving me a 24-hour notice. I sank into a depression that lasted for – well it only lasted a day or two, if I’m honest here. 

After that I pulled myself up, decided I didn’t know enough about my craft and began to take seminars and writing courses, fill my personal library with “how to get published” books, and read everything I could about writing fiction. I learned a few valuable lessons – including not to buy anymore “how to” books because they all say basically the same thing. 

I had to find my own way in this competitive and discriminating world of publishing. 

And along came the internet and the wonderful world of self-publishing. Voila! I’m a published author! 

I’m still not where I want to be in the writing world, but I’m making my own way and it feels so good I have a hard time believing it’s real. 

And the rejection letters? Not a problem. One of these days my work will be in the right hands at the right time and it will all be worth it.
Oh wait – it already is worth it.

Martinis with Mom
Martinis at the Ranch
An Unacceptable Truth
are all available on Amazon, Kindle, and Ibooks. 
 
Follow me on
Twitter @dmorganbooks , on Facebook Dee Morgan , or contact me
by email at dmorganauthor@gmail.com 

 

Bleak Beauty

It’s winter – football season, post-holiday, colder weather. There’s a dusting of snow on the graceful evergreens as they slowly sway in the breeze. The rest of the trees are naked down to their greenish-brown bark. 

You would think that it would be just the opposite – that the trees in winter should be covered in leaves to keep them warm. But Mother Nature has her ways and her reasons and who are we to question her. 

As a writer, I find a lot of inspiration in the beauty and sounds of nature. It quiets me and allows me to rid myself of all the monkey-chatter that haunts my mind. The mental lists of things to be done and the scramble of my latest characters as they vie for a place in my next book. 

There’s much beauty to be found this time of year. 

The boxes of Christmas decorations waiting to be carried back to their storage spot – they remind me of the lovely times I just shared with family and give me hope for the year to come. 

The dusting of snow makes me recall my childhood farther north when we would tote our sleds out and rush to the top of the hill where we would be carried down to the bottom.

The trees that are so cold and lonely looking in their nakedness reminds that spring will bring with it the lovely shades of green and the sounds of birds once again singing their tunes. 

The old cliché really is true – beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Turn your eye to find the beauty that is here for all of us.
 
Dee Morgan
 
Martinis with Mom
Martinis at the Ranch
An Unacceptable Truth  
Available on Amazon, Kindle, and Ibooks. 
 
Follow me on Twitter @dmorganbooks , on Facebook - Dee Morgan , or contact me by email at dmorganauthor@gmail.com.
 

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

The last blog of 2016 so of course I want to wish all of my readers and friends the Merriest of Christmases and all good things for the coming year!

I’m so pleased to say that 2017 will see the release of my fourth book (still untitled) and new blogs to follow my journey of writing. It should be a fun time for me and my readers. 

As I write my blogs I am always so thoughtful about all I have to be thankful for and all of the blessings and opportunities I’ve been given. It is humbling for me to know that what has started as an idea or thought has been taken into words that people read and enjoy. I am blessed with the opportunity to write and the talent to move from ideas to published words. 

So thank you to all of you and may 2017 be a wonderful year for you and all of your loved ones!

Dee Morgan

Martinis with Mom 
Martinis at the Ranch
An Unacceptable Truth 
are all available on Amazon, Kindle, and Ibooks. 

Follow me on Twitter @dmorganbooks, on Facebook Dee Morgan, or contact me by email at dmorganauthor@gmail.com

THE BLESSING IN BEING FLAWED

The Holiday Season is here! Time for family visits, baking and cooking together, sharing the fun of the season, and yes, the dreaded shopping trips. I love it!

Thanksgiving is one of my personal favorites. It tends to make me very conscious of all that I have in my life to be thankful about and all of the people who have blessed me with their love and their acceptance of my flawed personality. Because as we are all human, we all have flaws. 

I have not only come to recognize and accept my own flaws, as I mature I see the flaws in others and realize I have two choices – accept them or walk away. Sometimes that isn’t an easy decision but I no longer have time in my life for the people that bring me down or make me uneasy. 

So how is all of this related to being a writer? When I write, my characters have to be flawed to be realistic. Some are more flawed than others and some I have to struggle to write them – they’re beyond flawed. They’re hateful and ugly and completely unlikable. I can’t walk away because hey, it’s fiction and sometimes I need those types of people in my writing. 

I just don’t need them in my life. 

So here are my words of wisdom this month – be thankful for your flaws. They make you human and individual and unique. But also be aware that if you are pushing people away because of your flaws, maybe it’s time for a little bit of introspection. 

Focus on all you have that’s good in your life every single day and some of those flaws may just disappear. 

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL!
Dee Morgan

Martinis with Mom 
Martinis at the Ranch
An Unacceptable Truth 
are all available on Amazon, Kindle, and Ibooks. 

Follow me on Twitter @dmorganbooks, on Facebook Dee Morgan, or contact me by email at dmorganauthor@gmail.com

Rubik’s Cube

Do you remember the Rubik’s Cube puzzle game? I tried it once or twice and found it more frustrating than fun. Twisting the cube, turning it one way then the other, until finally throwing it across the room and swearing at it. 

So much for a “fun” game.

Now I have a story in the works, and struggling through it reminded me of that maddening little cube. All the pieces are there, but I couldn’t seem to get them lined up correctly. This struggle went on for a couple of weeks – making notes, changing scenes, making more notes. It just wasn’t working for me and I really didn’t want to get to that point where the computer goes flying across the room. I put it aside for a few weeks and finally went back to it. 

Nothing.

So I finally said, you know what? Maybe this isn’t the right book at the right time. This was like an epiphany for me! It’s on the shelf for the time being. My mind is finally relaxed and free of the pressure I was putting on myself to get that book done.

Lo and behold! A new book popped into my head and I realized it had been sitting on the back shelf of my mind all the time, patiently waiting its turn to be told. The new book is flowing like lava from a volcano and I couldn’t be happier about it. Characters make sense, the segues are perfect, and the story is coming together in a perfect fit.

My Rubik’s Cube book will just have to wait a while longer.

Martinis with Mom  

Martinis at the Ranch 

An Unacceptable Truth  

are all available on Amazon, Kindle, and Ibooks.  

Follow me on Twitter @dmorganbooks, on Facebook Dee Morgan, or contact me by email at dmorganauthor@gmail.com 

Road Trips and Renuions

My sisters and I took a road trip this last week on the way to my school reunion. It is always a great trip to spend time with my sisters because they also happen to be two of my best friends. 

One of the things we did along the way was stop at the memorial site of Flight 93 in Shanksville, PA. To say it was a moving tribute just wouldn’t do it justice. The site and the memorial are so lovely and so well done that we spent many hours there just walking through the Visitor’s Center, along the walkway to the memorial wall, and saying a prayer as we viewed the actual crash site. If you have the opportunity to visit, I highly recommend it. 

Then it was on to the reunion on Saturday night. I wasn’t sure what to expect – I haven’t seen most of these people in 50 years. So you can imagine my surprise when I came out of the elevator and heard several people call my name. They recognized me and more shocking was that I recognized them!  

As the evening went on, the subject of my books came up as the emcee was listing the various accomplishments of our graduates. Soon some of my classmates were coming to me asking questions and wanting more information about my work. Since I am E-published on Amazon/Kindle, I only had my bookmarks to give them and I was so pleased and proud to hand them out and sign them when requested. It was a stunning evening for me and as a new author, one I won’t soon forget and for which I will always be grateful.  

Spending time with my sisters, seeing friends from long ago, and talking about my writing – it just doesn’t get much better than this.  

Martinis with Mom  

Martinis at the Ranch 

An Unacceptable Truth  

are all available on Amazon, Kindle, and Ibooks.  

Follow me on Twitter @dmorganbooks, on Facebook Dee Morgan, or contact me by email at dmorganauthor@gmail.com