Awesome Authors: J Lloyd Morgan

The New Year is about to dawn, and I wish all you happy readers out there an incredible new year!

If you're looking for a good book to snuggle up with at night, try "The Hidden Sun" by J Lloyd Morgan.  It will keep you on the edge of your seat.

He has one heck-of-a website with a cool book trailer that you can view at this link.: click here!

or right here:

He's our latest awesome author.

Read more about the man himself who is also an award-winning TV director!!
And if that weren't enough, he's also met the one and only Debbie Gibson!

Pretty impressive, huh?

Now get ready for your close-up, Mr. DeMille!

Welcome J Lloyd Morgan, author of the Hidden Sun.  Jason, can you tell us a little about your book?

It's a young adult novel set in medieval times, though the reason it is considered "young adult" is because there isn't any swearing or sex scenes--and only mild violence. I've found that adults have enjoyed the book as much, if not more, than teenagers. 

The basic premise is that a new leader is soon to be selected for the Kingdom of Bariwon. The heir to the throne, Princess Eliana, is forced to marry whoever wins a contest of sorts. However, she has fallen in love with her personal guardian, and wants to renounce her title to be with him. 

Malevolent Governor Abrecan is favored to win the contest, which would put his easily manipulated son, Daimh, on the throne. A plan is hatched so that Eliana can marry her true love, while at the same time becoming queen. The events that follow are full of twists, turns and interconnecting sub-plots that keep the reader engaged and wondering what will happen next. 

I understand The Hidden Sun is set in a medieval world, but you chose not to include typical fantasy tropes like magic.  Can you tell us why?

I get asked this often. The heart of the story is really about people, the choices they make, and the consequences of those actions. There are many moments in the book that have the reader asking themselves, "How are they going to get out of this mess?" 

Too often I've read books or seen movies where the hero "saves the day" by using some sort of magic power that neither they, nor the audience, knew they had. It feels like cheating to me. 

By removing magic, and basically all forms of technology, people are left to their own devices to resolve their issues. I believe the readers get more involved in the story because they are trying to figure out how the characters are going to resolve the challenges they face using the same abilities a normal person would have.

What was the most challenging part of writing the book?

This may sound strange, but it was coming up with the title. I had a pretty good idea about the plot, characters and setting going in. In the end, I wanted a title that was unique, and relevant to the story. It's not until most people finish the book that they understand what the title means. 

What are some of your favorite responses you've gotten from readers?

I get a kick out of how many people really dislike the villain of the book. And what's not to dislike? People have mentioned how awful of a person he is.

I've also had many people get mad at me while reading the book, only to forgive me at the end. Why do they get mad? Because they get emotionally attached to the characters and when things go bad, they want someone to blame. 

However, the story does have a happy ending, so like I stated, all is forgiven at the conclusion. Lastly, the book is non-traditional in several ways. One reviewer said something along the lines of "J. Lloyd Morgan didn't re-write popular stories, he created his own."


Can you describe your writing process?

It all starts with a spark of an idea. From there, I'll imagine the setting and the characters with a basic plot outline. Then the real fun begins. 

As I'm writing, the characters take on a life of their own and lead me in directions I'm not always expecting. I've often finished a chapter with the thought, "Wow, that was interesting. I wonder what they will do next?" It may sound odd, but it's what works for me.


You're also an award-winning television director.  Can you tells us a little about your experience in TV?

An award winning TV director sounds impressive, eh? For full disclosure, they types of shows I directed were primarily live newscasts, interview shows and public events. I've lived all over the USA in that career. I ended up in the #1 market in the USA as Director / Operations Manager

I got to meet all sorts of interesting people from politicians to celebrates. When I lived in Connecticut, it was almost surreal that I had congressmen, mayors and the governors that knew and called me by my first name. I even directed a "town meeting" where then President Bush was the keynote speaker. 

Who were some of the people (celebrities and politicians) you got to meet while you were a director?

I got to meet all the major mayors and congressmen in Connecticut, including Joe Lieberman, Christopher Shays, Chris Dodd, Governor Jodi Rell. In addition, meeting Mayor Rudy Giuliani was pretty darn cool.

 As for celebrities, boy there was a ton. I think my favorite was Debbie Gibbson, simply because I had such a crush on her in High School.

[Editor's note: Mr. Morgan refused to divulge if he ever sang 'Electric Youth' in the mirror] 

Why do you think so many actors say they want to direct?

It's about control. As the director, you are in control, and ultimately responsible for what ends up on the screen. Often actors believe (some rightfully so) that they can do better than the directors they have worked with.

What do you like about directing?

For me, it was always about the rush and thrill of being a human multi-tasker in the face of an ever changing environment. It's extremely challenging, but when you pull it off, it is quite an amazing feeling.


How does your experience as a director affect your writing?

I believe it has given me greater insight into various types of people and their actions. I've drawn on this time and again as inspiration for my characters--which is why I believe that many people have told me my characters are very engaging. In addition, as a director, you need to have an incredible sense of timing. I believe that has helped me be successful in keeping the pacing of my books moving.

I love the trailer you've created for your book. View it here.

How did you come up with it and who are the people in the video?

I didn't have a budget, so I used my old beat up cam-corder and some desktop editing software to put together a "testimonial" video. The people in the video are my family and their friends. There is actually a lot of humor in The Hidden Sun, and I wanted to have people see that side of me. 

In addition, I got a kick out of twisting many popular quotes you read about books into silly examples. It was a lot of fun.  Oh! And here is an inside scoop never before revealed: The music at the beginning and end are original compositions by me--OK, granted it is me playing like three notes on a music keyboard, but still . . .

On a personal note, I notice you're the only male in your family, which consists of a beautiful wife and four lovely daughters.  What's it like being the only guy in the house?

Honestly, I love it. My wife and daughters are the best. I'm actually very spoiled in that regard. I get asked time and again, "Are you going to keep trying until you get a boy?" I respond, "We tried 4 times, and we got all girls. After that, I waved the white flag."

What do you like to do in your spare time?

I'm an avid reader--it helps me develop my talent and voice as a writer. I'm a big Atlanta Braves baseball fan, which is about all the sports my wife can handle. I'm active in my church and volunteer time to help others. I also enjoy progressive rock. 

In addition, I'm a fan of a musician named Chris De Burgh. On one of his recent albums is a song called "The Mirror of the Soul." A dream of mine would be to write a full novel based on the song. It's amazing. 

Have you or your family made any New Years resolutions?

On the writing front, my goal is to get the sequel to The Hidden Sun released. It is much more of an adventure novel and I'm very excited about it. I learned a ton from writing my first book, and I believe it has helped make the second one that much better. In addition, I've started on the third book and plan on having the first draft done by year end.

What does 2011 hold for J Lloyd Morgan?

Hopefully more people discovering and enjoying The Hidden Sun. As for anything else, I always try to live today just a bit better than I did yesterday. Life is too short to do otherwise.

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

Yes!  Thank you so much for allowing me to answer these questions. It's been fun. As I noted before, I'm an avid reader. I finished an excellent book not long ago called Who's at the door?  (Maybe you've heard of it) I'd highly recommend it!

[Editor's note:Talk about good taste!] 


Best of luck to Mr. Morgan and his family for 2011! 

More Reviews!

The reviews have poured in this week:

First up, I got a review at the Writing Fortress blog.  Rebecca Talley author of  numerous LDS books including "Altared Plans" and "The Upside of Down" said:

"I wasn't sure if I'd like this book, I'm not a big memoir reader, but it pulled me right in. I found myself thinking about it and hoping for a particular ending. This isn't a conversion story, it's about Harrington's spiritual journey and I liked his candor.  He didn't sugarcoat anything..."

To read her full review, click here.

* * *


Consumer Avenger/Media Reviewer & former LDS Missionary Jen Head Jen said on her site:


"It was interesting to get a view of how non-Mormons view Mormons. What was refreshing was that I didn't feel the need to defend myself while reading, and that Dan gave the missionaries - and their message - the benefit of the doubt at every turn...


Overall, I very much enjoyed the book, and finished the bulk of it in one sitting...A very thought-provoking..." For the full review click here:

She even rated it as 5 Mint Oreo Cookies.  That's one tasty rating!

***

Danyelle Ferguson, author of "Mormon Mishaps & Mischief" also praised the book on her site as "heartwarming, funny, and insightful:

"Who's at the Door is an excellent example of looking past the names on the signs in front of your local churches and instead respecting and supporting each other. I will always remember that wise phrase: There's room for everyone at God's table."

She actually picked out one of my favorite scenes in the book as one of her favorite moments as well.  You can read the full review here.

Thecla: little known woman with a great big story

Christmas night I wound up watching the History Channel's special "Banned from the Bible II."

The part I watched had to do with St. Thecla, a person I only vaguely remembered hearing about in school.

According to some fragmentary second century historical texts, she was a companion of Paul who stressed celibacy over marriage.

This type of thinking perhaps originates in the Bible where Paul writes:

"Now to the unmarried and the widows I say: It is good for them to stay unmarried, as I do.But if they cannot control themselves, they should marry, for it is better to marry than to burn with passion." 
1 Corinthians 7:8-9

Needless to say, this is one of those passages that historians show more interest in than the churches. It is, in all practicality, the exact opposite of what Joseph Smith believed about plural marriage. 

Thecla's story reminded me of Ann Lee, the 18th Century founder of the Shaker faith, who also said that God calls ardent believers to a chaste life.

Ann stressed that marriage created a unique relationship between individuals that prevented people from loving everyone equally.  I wonder what Thecla would have thought of that argument.

Like most beautiful young women, Thecla's life was spent dodging unwelcome suitors.  The most famous part of her story is perhaps how one of them had Thecla thrown into a Lion's Den.

As the story goes, a female lion protected Thecla from the others, and Thecla is often portrayed with a female Lion.  She might have been a major role-model in Christianity if not for her radical act of baptizing herself.

Check out more about Thecla here:

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas, everyone! It's my first Christmas as an author, and this year God has been so good to me.

But I also know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that no matter what I achieve, the most important thing in my life is to recognize, honor, and love the one we celebrate on December 25.

John 1: 10-12 & 17-18
"He came into the very world he created, but the world didn’t recognize him. ¹¹ He came to his own people, and even they rejected him. ¹² But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God...  

God’s unfailing love and faithfulness came through Jesus Christ.  

¹⁸ No one has ever seen God. But the unique One, who is himself God, is near to the Father’s heart.

 He has revealed God to us."

Another Book Review/a cause to ponder

I got another book review over at Mind-Muffins blog. Hooray!

You can read it here:  

http://mind-muffins.blogspot.com/2010/12/book-review-whos-at-door.html

This is a thoughtful review for sure, but it made me feel a tinge of guilt for not being more direct with one thought in particular.

The author mentions a few subjects which, I agree, could have been better explored, but my biggest surprise was this comment  because it shows that I did not hit the intended nail on the head:

"In the epilogue to the book Harrington writes: 'I don’t think too many conversions hinge on how accurate the Book of Mormon may or may not be. People want a place to be accepted, a place to hear about God, a place where they feel God hears them. Simply put, most people aren’t theologians. Neither am I. That’s what we have in common.' That, for me, was the most telling passage of the entire book

...So ultimately this book tells us a lot about Dan Harrington’s view and experiences in exploring the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but offers very little that can be generalized to investigators as a group."

Maybe I wasn't forceful enough, but the thought I was trying to drive home is that people are usually more taken by the "idea or place of being accepted" than by doctrine.

I did spend some time with other investigators, but I did not mention this in the book.  This mostly came about when the elders needed a third party to visit a single female and ward members were not available.  (Their rules dictate that they must have a third party present when alone with a woman.)  I was often their go-to guy for rides, food, or help in general.  A role I happily accepted.

Perhaps I should have written about what I witnessed from those investigators.  I just didn't feel like it was my place to spill other people's beans.

But as an observer who--admittedly--wasn't privy to the entire experience of others, it seemed that some people were joining because they wanted to be accepted, and quite frankly, liked it when speakers talked about them at sacrament meeting.

The conversations I heard from other investigators were less of "I believe Joseph Smith is a prophet" and more of "Do you think the Church will give me a Christmas tree if I wait until after the holidays to join?" (I'm obviously recalling one incident in particular)

Another man testified to knowing the LDS Church was true because of the Holy Spirit, but he would also go out to smoke after sacrament meeting, knowing full well that was against Church teaching.  He was also rude to my elders in general, challenging them in the Gospel Principles class and even calling them "stupid" in his home.  That irked me quite a bit.  Yet he somehow, passed a baptismal interview in another area of the state a few weeks before moving to my hometown.

Other investigators agreed with the missionaries in declaring the Book of Mormon is true, but they hadn't read more than a page or two of it.


These incidents did worry me, and my worry is that this particular aspect of the missionary program happens more often than I expect.  From this review, I see that I should have been more forthright with this thought because the hint I gave clearly didn't do the job.

I also realize that the elders are in between a rock and a hard place.  No one should be a doctrinal expert to join the Church, but how can you really know what a person's motivations are?  I've even seen this discussion on message boards between LDS members who wonder the same thing.

As to my personal experience, which is the focus of the book, I think one reason the elders and I spent so much time together is because we accepted each other, despite our differences.  That's what causes heated arguments, really, because people refuse to accept each other.

In the end, I accepted the elders for who they were--warts and all--, and they, despite my hesitation about joining the church, accepted me into their lives as well..warts and all.

(Not that we have warts.  That's just a metaphor)


 

Awesome Authors: David J West

My awesome authors series continues with David J West author of "Heroes of the Fallen." I first became aware of David while researching Utah publishers for my own book and came across his blog, Nephite Blood, Spartan Heart.

You can view it at this link: David J West.

He was the first blogger who grabbed my attention for his mix of humor and writing insight. Additionally, his work branches out from traditional LDS topics and feels more inspired by great works of Epic fantasy.

It was also nice to see a blog devoid of frills and girlie romance covers. Sometimes when I visit his blog, it's like heading over to a "man cave" on the web.

I've had the pleasure of chatting with David and was happy he agreed to be featured. Please welcome Mr. David J West!  

Your first book "Heroes of the Fallen" came out with Wido Publishing earlier this year. Can you tell us a little about the book?

"Heroes of the Fallen" is the first in a series of ancient American historicals that are laced with all the speculative weirdness and action I can muster. It reads like an epic fantasy, though I would argue anything within [the book] IS within the realm of the possible.

What motivated you to write "Heroes of the Fallen?"

A big motivation for writing the entire series, is that no one had ever done a Book of Mormon historical the way I wanted to read them. The romances didn't do it for me, nor did the adaptions which had very little creativity in prose or expansion of possibilities.

As a kid (and still today) my favorite parts were the wars, the action, the heroics. No one would tackle the incredible potential for the kind of stories I wanted to read. So I did.

Using perhaps more familiar Biblical historicals, think of the movies- 10 Commandments, Ben Hur, The Robe, King David and the novel Curse of Jezebel by Frank Slaughter.

I wanted to read an epic series so I wrote an epic series.

[Editor's note: Great cover.  I'm pretty sure that's David on the left about to kick some butt.]


How do you think your book is different from others in the Utah/LDS market? 

I would say the one thing I keep hearing back is either it is very graphic compared to what the LDS market standard is, OR I liked it despite it being an LDS book. I suppose I'll take both as a compliment.

I set out to write a very different book, and it was a fear of mine that it would be rejected by the LDS community. Thankfully it wasn't.

How far along are you with your next book?

[It's] very nearly done. Originally book 1 and 2 were one massive tome,but the market being what it is, I decided to split the book in half. This has caused new problems. I have to reintroduce some things to book 2 and expand on somethings added in book 1 rewrites.

I expect to get BLOOD OF OUR FATHERS to my editor any day now.

You're a publishing machine! Besides your books, I noticed you are a prolific short story writer. Can you tell us a little about your upcoming anthologies? 

I have several anthologies coming up. Except for a Book of Mormon short story anthology (which I am headlining) the rest of the anthologies are fantasy's.

Roar of the Crowd-will have my story "Whispers of the Goddess," a heroic account of the sack of Constantinople in the 4th Crusade. Whats not to love about Crusaders, Vikings and the Holy Grail to boot?

Shadows & Light 2 contains my desert fantasy tale of honor-"The Hand of Fate" The Challenge: Discovery-has "The Serpent's Root" a rollicking yarn starring a female thief named Saphir.

I have several other tales I am waiting to hear confirmations on.

How do you tackle writing a short story vs writing a novel? 

Its kinda weird, I started out writing short stories, then linking them all together to make a novel-filling in spaces at times-so that when I decided to try writing some shorts it was really hard to go back to keeping a low wordcount.

My first shorts were all longer. Whispers of the Goddess is 12K, Hand of Fate was 11K.

In fact I had to stop a couple of shorts because it became obvious they needed to become novels-I couldn't limit those stories. But with practice and craft, I am finding the way to strip things down and get to the meat of an incident and leave that at 5K or less. I have a couple shorts now that aren't over 3K.

Tell us a little about your background? I heard you were into martial arts. 

I was really into martial arts before I got married.  I took some Karate, Tae-kwon do, Akido, and my personal favorite Wu Ji Chyuan Fa, a no-nonsense Chinese amalgamation of styles.

I hear you collect swords. Can you tell us about your collection and how you got interested in it?

I have always liked swords-just that boyish barbarian fascination I suppose. I have a large number of decorative swords, but also several 'battle ready' weapons.

How many do you have? 

I think I have 17 swords, a pair of spears and three ax's. Oh and a war-hammer that is a lot of fun.

Any favorite one?

My favorite sword would be the Grosse Messer, which is what I base Amaron, the main character in Heroes, sword on.

Why do you think readers, male readers in particular, enjoy action and battle scenes?

Probably much the same reason they like sports-whether watching or playing there is that release for the natural aggressions that come up in life.

I believe it is something we are hardwired with,BUT I would also hope that in my writing of such blood, I display consequences as well as action.  I don't write blood and guts without a thought behind it.

I love your blog titled "Nephite Blood/Spartan Heart." What link do you see between these two groups? 

Great question.  I wanted as original a name as possible for the blog and something that would brand me and my future writings.

I have a novel BLESS THE CHILD about an exiled Spartan mercenary set during the fall of Jerusalem to Nebuchadnezzar (I'm still tweaking it) and combining my thoughts on that with HEROES, which had just been contracted-gave me the title for the blog. It was also a play on Morrissey's song-Irish Blood, English Heart.

With the Christmas season upon us, do you have a favorite Christmas memory?

I love the feeling of being with family-the warmth, the hot cocoa, watching the moonlight hit the sparkling snow.

How does your family celebrate the season? 

We are in the midst of starting our own new traditions.  My family used to open presents on Christmas Eve and re-enact the Nativity. My wifes family did the standard Christmas Morn thing-so we are blending the two.

What was your favorite Christmas present as a kid? 

Probably anything G.I. Joe.

What do you want for Christmas this year? 

Books, lots and lots of books. It's what excites me the most.
[Editor's comment: Books and swords. A cool combination!] 

You've been to several writing conferences in the Utah area. Do you have a favorite memory of those?

Heh-yeah. As mentioned above, in early 2009 I was still unsure if anyone in the LDS community would like my style-BUT I won first place in the first chapters general fiction category for my weird western, DANCE THE GHOST WITH ME - (my mom is still after me to finish that one!) It was a great validation that other people liked my stuff.

It's often said that women buy more books than men. Any thoughts on why that is and how we can increase male readership? 

That's a real tough one. I ought to ask that myself on the blog and get more feedback, but I think women are more willing to throw themselves into the world of a book.

Too many people in general think they have to get something out of reading, like it has to teach them something concrete.

Think of all the self-help books out there.

They are missing how much literature does teach us,even subtly, how much it does make us think.

This is why the classic works have survived as long as they have--great literature makes us a great people.

I also believe in the sheer enjoyment of reading. I read for enjoyment almost every day BUT I don't do lots of other things people take for granted.

I never play video games for example. It might be perfectly enjoyable, but I don't see it edifying anyone, and I don't have time for that.

What advice do you have for other writers? 

Always, always, always keep notes. I have a river of ideas flowing to me constantly, and you have to keep notes, because you will forget.

What do you know about the publishing industry now that you didn't know before your novel? 

Networking is key. It always pays to know people and have friends within the community. Writing can be solitary, but I don't believe success is.

What's 2011 hold for David West? 

I will have BLOOD OF OUR FATHERS released. I will have half a dozen short stories in anthologies (at the least) and potentially a couple other novels out riding the waves of fortune.

Thanks for sharing your experience, David.

Thank you for this opportunity.

Sunday Song, "Hope is Born This Night"

In keeping with the season, here's one of my favorite Christmas songs: