Author Interview: Melinda Morgan

Melinda Morgan is a US based writer of contemporary romance, and I recently had the privilege of being on her ARC team for Alex Undercover. More about that later! But first, let’s find out a bit more about Melinda.

Melinda, welcome! You have two wonderful books out in the world, Larson’s Wager and Alex Undercover. Can you share a little bit of your journey with writing? Is it something you’ve always done? 

First of all, let me say thank you for offering me this opportunity to chat with you about my author journey. 
I’ve always enjoyed writing—like since I was a young girl and my parents bought me my first diary. Let me tell you, it’s crazy to travel back in time and read the things I wrote as a 9-year-old. Writing has always been a creative outlet for me, but honestly, I never thought I would actually write a novel some day! It came as a total surprise when characters began hanging out in my head and urging me to write their story. 
I actually wrote two previous novels in a series titled The Birthright Legacy, a blended genre of YA romance, fantasy, and paranormal suspense.  A small publishing company picked up the first book and contracted to publish all three books in the series. Sadly, soon after the second book released in 2013, the publishers closed their doors and went out of business. 
Then a whole lot of life happened! First my mom died unexpectedly, three of my children went on missions, then three of them got married. Then my dad passed away, my husband and I moved from Southern California to Utah. I discovered I had thyroid cancer and underwent two surgeries for that. Any how, too many things to mention, but the bottom line is I never finished the third book in that series. It’s still in my head, but for over a decade, I just lost the motivation to write. 
A couple of summers ago, I was kayaking in southern Utah when an idea for a new romance novel came to me. Then, last summer, inspiration struck and I began writing Larson and Nell’s story. I wrote the entire first draft in about three weeks, and it was a blast! But then the hard part began. I decided to go indie this time rather than traditional, but man! What a steep learning curve! So I hired Jenny Proctor to coach me through the process. She was a godsend! 

I wanted to write a story involving kayaking, so I wrote Larson’s Wager with a kayak competition and race right at the center of the plot line. That was a total blast! When I began writing Alex Undercover, the characters steered me away from light-hearted comedy and into the world of an undercover FBI agent. I fell in love with Alex and Bree’s story because they had to struggle so much to find their happily ever after. Currently, I’m writing Liam’s story—book three in the An Unlikely Romance series. 

What can readers expect from your books?
Readers can expect my books to be closed-door or fade-to-black. I love swoon-worthy kissing scenes that have a little heat, without crossing the line into open-door territory. At the same time, I like to keep my characters real and relatable. Most men and women in the twenties and thirties are sexually active, so it’s a challenge sometimes to show that my characters have realistic thoughts about sex, while still keeping the book clean. That’s what I love about closed door romance. It allows all the thoughts and desires to be present, but it doesn’t make it front and center. There are no explicit scenes or language in my books. There are Bible swears, though, like “d” and “h.”

Now tell us about the Unlikely Romance series. There are a group of awesome characters here! Was there any particular inspiration for them? Do you have a favourite couple? 

I kind of answered this one above, but I can elaborate a little. In this series, there are four guy friends who have extreme sports in common. They live in Eugene, Oregon, are successful in their careers, but they also have a wild streak. They are hellions who tend to get into some scuffles. Some say they are immature because they enjoy throwing some punches. Mostly at each other. But growing up in a neighborhood of all guys, this is behavior that was pretty normal. I wanted to have a little fun with that, so I just wrote it into the story.  
If I could liken the four guys to a breed of dog—Max would be a German Shepherd, Alex would be a Doberman Pincer, Liam would be a Golden Retriever and Larson would be a Siberian Husky. 

I loved the character of Nell in Larson’s Wager. She was strong and sporty, and being a young widow was a really interesting situation. How did her character come alive for you? 

I wanted to write a female lead who didn’t take herself too seriously and was comfortable in her own skin. I love when women can relate to guys in a fun way, without playing games. Every time I went out on my kayak, Nell would share another piece of her character with me. We connected on the water. Strong. Confident. Knows how to laugh at herself and others. I love that she gives the guys a run for their money, while embracing her femininity. Her being a widow gives her a unique sort of depth, and I tried really hard to show how she experienced all the phases of grief until she was ready to let go and move on. 

Now onto Alex Undercover. I absolutely loved the elements of suspense in this book! What was the most fun part to write for you? (Without any spoilers!)

It was really fun to write Holdeman’s character. I love the dynamic between Alex and Holdeman, and also the tension between Bree and Holdeman. Originally, he was supposed to be a bad guy, but his character’s voice took over in my head and wouldn’t relent. He definitely gives Alex a run for his money. The biggest surprise for me was Alex. The depth of his devotion and commitment to Bree. He was all-in with her from the start. 

What’s coming next in this series? Whose story? (I’m excited!!)

Next up is Liam’s story. He’s such a wild card it’s been a challenge to tell his story. Plus, he’s as ornery as you get! So fun! 

Which authors inspire you? Do you have a favourite book you return to?

I enjoy so many authors! It’s like asking me to tell you which one of my kids is my favorite. They each have unique strengths that make them shine. That’s how it is with reading different authors. 

What advice would you give to aspiring writers who would like to write a series?
Let the characters tell their story. Listen to them, allow them to drive the plot. Don’t force them into a box just because it’s where you think the story needs to go. Give them the reigns and the magic will happen. 

You can follow Melinda on Instagram @melinda.r.morgan. The Unlikely Romance series is out now! 

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.