Elizabeth Morris

 Interview with Elizabeth Morris

Author of:

The Blood of The Beast Series

Please tell me a little about your current work in progress.

My current work in progress is the third installment of my Blood of the Beast series. The title will be Return of the Ambush and will have the same characters as the previous books but also some new characters. My current book is my favorite to write so far and I’m looking forward to it’s release when the time comes.

Where did you get the idea for this book or series?

I got the idea for this series from a dream. I had a dream that I was my main character shapeshifting into a tiger, and I started writing down ideas for a world of shapeshifters. I get a lot of influence from traveling and going on nature walks.

Do you write in more than one genre?

No, I stick to fantasy. I would like to attempt to write a romance book in the future as well as a children’s book.

Tell me about something that you believe makes your writing unique or worthy of attention.

I believe that my strongest and most unique qualities in my writing is the dialogue. My editor says that the dialogue is the best part of my books and I agree with him. I like to have my characters talk as if they were normal humans even though they are half animal.

Is there anything about your personal history or personality that manifests strongly in your writing?

My whole personality is manifested into my main character Kira. She is me in a sense of who I want myself to be. She is strong, sincere and sarcastic which I strive to be like that. I like to put a variation of my personal history into my novels. I feel like if I write an emotional scene then it comes from the heart and makes the story feel more authentic.

What else would be helpful for readers to know about you?

I have Schizophrenia, a disorder where you have different types of hallucinations. I am medicated for it and I am doing well to manage it. I do sometimes hear voices (like my characters voices) and I believe that it helps my writing a little bit because I can get into the head of my characters easily.

Excluding your own work, what underrated author or book would you recommend that more people read? Why?

I am currently reading my friends book called The Wandering Order: Autumn Light by C. J. Hahne. I recommend it highly if you like fantasy worlds and fantastic world building. I love the story so far and I’m about halfway done with it.

Which of your books do you most highly recommend? Why?

I recommend my second book Rise of the Rebels because there’s so much happening to the characters and one of my favorite and best emotional scenes happens in this book. I love what I did with the plot as well as the dialogue. My first book is good but I love my second book better.

Which break, event, decision, or fortuitous circumstance has helped you or your writing career the most?

I recently participated in a book festival in my local town, and it was fantastic. I think it helped me boost sales and got more people interested in my books. I would love to do that again next year and maybe I’ll have my third book ready by then.

What question do you wish you would get asked more often?

I wish I would get asked “How do you develop your characters?” more often. I love good character development and I do a lot of research into animals and base their characteristics off of my characters.

Do you have a catch-phrase or quote that you like? What is it? And why do you choose it?

“You’re losing it Kira. You’re a Tiger. You weren’t made to be locked up.” This quote from my second book is a good example of when my main character is going through something emotionally. Here she is locked up in a room and she’s talking to herself trying to figure out how to escape. I love that she realizes that she wasn’t made for cages and goes crazy. 

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Thanks to Elizabeth for participating in the interview.

My own update: I was interviewed at N3F in IONISPHERE MAGAZINE-- my interview starts on page 11 of the issue.

Also, my newsletter will include the second paragraph for the story started last month. I had some great submissions for the proposed second paragraph, so it wasn't an easy choice. You can sign up for my newsletter here to keep up on the continuing story and to contribute a paragraph of your own.