I am honored to welcome Karl J. Morgan on my Blog today!

Karl is on a Blog Tour with his latest book, “THE SLEEPING ONE.”

Come, Let us give Karl our #RRBC Support!

Why We Write

The desire to tell stories is as ancient as time itself. For most, it is our need to be heard and to have our thoughts and opinions matter to the greater world. It started long before words were written in verbal histories passed from one generation to the next. Only the methods of information exchange have changed since then. The modern world of books, television, motion pictures and social media have extended our grasp on that ethereal goal of recognition by others. Thankfully, the invention of e-books and self-publishing have given us all a seat at the table.

The range of book genres proves that people crave many types of information. I am a major fan of comics and astrophysics (not an obvious combination). This multitude of eyes yearning to read something entertaining and educational is a seductive lure. We accept that our words will likely not be massive bestsellers, but we are grateful for any readers who willingly choose to take the time to read our tales.

For me, the goal is to provide a lot of excitement and adventure, often sprinkled with my own thoughts, viewpoints, and dreams. I try to demonstrate that good will always win over bad, even though good may have to struggle against overwhelming odds. I want my stories to provide positive messages about the nature of mankind, mainly to give people hope.

As an example, my dystopian Revolution series was a warning about government spending that could bankrupt the country, as we see today in Venezuela. To add that element of action and danger, I included a cannibal takeover of the United States. Those stories are quite violent with scenes that trouble me to this day. A writer knows the story will likely take over the plot and we must struggle to keep the story headed in the desired direction.

The new Carl Prescott series deals with friendship, emotional growth, being ostracized, and faith. It also deals with evil plots, demons, cosmology, and our direct connection to the Divine. While not so violent as the last, as always, the tales are fast-paced and action-packed.

My process is straight forward. As a “seat of the pants” author, once an idea hits, I open Word and start typing. I would not recommend that for authors who outline or plan their books. I have used Scrivener, which works well for that. It is also helpful to track characters and make notes about ideas for later in the story. By the way, I prefer the term “stream of consciousness” to “pantser”.

The best advice I ever received on writing was to not edit or go back and change anything in your manuscript until you finish the first rough draft. The rewrite, edit, repeat process takes much longer than the first draft. Get to the end. Know that your tale is complete. That knowledge will fortify you for the long bit yet to be addressed (edit, cover design, layout, and marketing).

The focus on completing the rough draft is also a powerful tool for the author. Once you type “The End” on the rough draft, you will know you have written a book. Not many people can say that. Be proud on that fabulous day. You deserve it.

A few last words on reviews. Some authors will tell you not to read them. I am not one hundred percent convinced of that. In the “my editor retired” days, I did the job myself. I had a bad review where the reader pointed out a massive error in my book. I was mortified, not at the reviewer, but my own mistake. I fixed it and republished. That being said, if you get hateful reviews that have no specific issues, ignore them. There will always be people who will hate everyone but their personal favorite writer. Also, some folks just like to hate. Those reviews are poison to the writer if they take them to heart. Think of which television shows are on tonight. I guarantee that there are some you like and some you don’t. If no one liked a show, it would not be on. Let those people have that show and you have yours. It is as simple as that.

Remember that our human desire to tell our truths is as old as time itself. Do not be afraid to speak yours.

Karl Morgan Bio

With a long career in finance and as author of almost twenty books, I like to say that words and numbers are my life.

I have had a lifelong fascination with stories in the science fiction and fantasy genres, whether it was the Tom Swift novels by Victor Appleton I read as a young boy, or television like Lost in Space and Star Trek. More recently, I have devoured film series like Star Wars, Harry Potter, and Lord of the Rings. That fascination is combined with a keen interest in cosmology, astrophysics, quantum physics, and spirituality.

That quirky combination along with the fantasy genre allows me to craft stories that reinforce the importance of family, friendship, and love. The protagonists must overcome incredible danger and challenges to survive their journeys, but eventually end up on top. It goes without saying that as a finance guy, my life has been less action-packed than my characters (thank goodness).

With Carl Prescott and The Sleeping One, I ventured back to comfortable territory. Many of my stories reinforce our direct connection to the Divine. While that is an element of this story, the sequels feature that relationship to a much greater extent. That element in my stories is an homage to what I believe really matters in this life.

I am the son of an Air Force pilot and as such, I have lived in many places, never for more than four years at a time. Thankfully, as an adult, I have lived in Chula Vista, CA for the past thirty-seven years. I met and married Aida, the love of my life, thirty years ago. Our grown children have made us grandparents four times over. It is a blessing to be around such wonderful parents and children.

My new goal is life is my stories. I hope you can follow me on this new adventure.

Karl Morgan Social Media and Contact Links:

Book on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07L7HHNB3

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/karlmorganauthor

Amazon author page: https://www.amazon.com/Karl-Morgan/e/B00A57RWPO

Website/Blog: http://www.karljmorgan.com

Twitter handle: @karljmorgan

To follow along with the rest of the tour, please visit the author’s tour page on the 4WillsPublishing site.  If you’d like to book your own blog tour and have your book promoted in similar grand fashion, please click HERE.

Lastly, Karl is a member of the best book club ever – RAVE REVIEWS BOOK CLUB #RRBC! If you’re looking for amazing support as an author, or if you simply love books, JOIN US! We’d love to have you!