Welcome Morgan O'Reilly Today

Welcome to Dawn’s Reading Nook, Morgan O’Reilly. Please let my cabana boys/girls get you a drink and make yourself at home. Comfortable? Great…now let’s get down to business.

Can you tell us a little about how you started writing; was it something you have always wanted to do?

I never consciously thought about writing when I was growing up, although it must have been at the back of my mind for many years. Off and on I’d play with words, poetry and the like. I wrote a few scenes every now and then but didn’t do anything with them. Then one night I had a dream that was so vivid I could see the colors, feel the breeze, smell the flowers in the window boxes. I woke up the next morning and wrote it down. I wrote for two days, then my husband grew irritated so I set it aside for ten years.

Then one Halloween, actually, the Friday before Halloween, it was a slow day at work. Those who were in the office were in the breakroom partying. I pretty much had cubeville to myself. My husband was in Alaska, my son and I were in Colorado to finish out the school year before moving back. We’d been separated by his job for about six weeks and I was lonely. I grabbed a steno book and spent the rest of the day writing. I got home, sat down at the computer, typed it in, and kept going. Writing saw me through a pretty tough year before we completed the move back to Alaska the next summer. I’ve been writing ever since.

What do you consider to be the key elements of a great story?

There must be a good love story. One that not only revs up the hormones, but touches the heart and leaves a lasting love. I fall in love with all my characters. Each hero I write is the sexiest, smartest (well, as smart as a man can be), and most romantic man I can imagine. Some are a little more stubborn than others, some are more refined, but each one holds a special place in my heart. Readers have told me my characters are people they’d love to have living down the street. People they’d get together with to hang out and BBQ. I love that they feel the same way I do.

Could you tell us a little about how you develop your characters? Who has been your favorite character to write? The most challenging?

Ah, the most challenging is the hero I can’t pin down right now. If I can make him behave, he’ll be the hero of book 4 in this series. I’m a pantser, so the characters have a whole lot of control when it comes to the development of the story. Right now, in order to pin down Brennan Shaughnessy I need to do some reading. At the end of book 3, he’s coming out of a situation that came close to being fatal, so he’s going to be looking at his priorities very closely in his book.

Please tell us about the projects you are currently working on; what can readers expect to see in the coming months?

I just finished Weathering the Storm, Book Three of the Open Windows series. It’s the story of Aiden, the eldest of the Shaughnessys. It’s due to release in September. I also have one with a Brit hero I’ve been playing with for a couple of years I’d really like to see out soon. And I’ve had some requests to increase my output in the BDSM/Erotica area. It’s shaping up to be a very busy writing year.

Where can readers find out what's new and how can they contact you?

Most of the action can be found on my Facebook pages. I try to keep up with my website, but…  I have a better track record with my two blogs. The first is The Morgan Diaries that I share with J. Morgan. I’ve put up pages spotlighting our books there and since it’s easy to update, it will probably be kept the most current. Call me lazy, but I like easy. It allows more time for writing. The other blog belongs to my alter ego Shea McMaster.

http://themorgandiaries.blogspot.com

http://sheamcmaster.blogspot.com

Do you have a strict writing schedule? How do you balance your personal and writing time?

I don’t have a strict writing schedule, which I probably should fix. I’m fortunate to be a semi-empty nester with a husband who works long hours, or spends time in the garage – excuse me – his shop. When my son is home from college, the house isn’t so quite as my writing area is in the great room, but if he has a summer job then it’s not so bad. I only have to compete with the TV in the evenings then. When it comes to chores, if the dishes are ready to climb out of the sink then I’ll get to them. Housework tends to land way, way down my list of priorities.

Which author(s) is your favorite? And who has most influenced you work?

So hard to choose! It really depends on what I’m writing at the time. I’ve had many, many influences over the years. In random order: Anne McCaffrey, Julie Garwood, Jude Devereaux, Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Juniper Bell, Tielle St. Clare, Lizbeth Selvig, Doreen Orsini, J. Morgan, Rachel Gibson, Jennifer Greene, Linnea Sinclair… Ack! It’s not fair to make a list as I couldn’t possibly narrow it down to just one or two. Each book I read gives me something I bring to my work sooner or later.

If you could have any vice without repercussions, what would it be?

Toughie. Probably something to do with red wine and chocolate. Or leather… Nope, think I’ll stick with wine and chocolate!

If you could have been the servant to any famous person in history, who would that be and why?

Hmmm, I’m not really servant material. There was a time when I grabbed up anything Arthurian. So possibly, if there was a Camelot, Arthur, and Guinevere, I could see myself as Lady in Waiting to the Queen. And of course, seeing all those strong warriors would have been amazing. Wonder if I could have seduced one or two?

Which of your characters do you love/hate/fear/pity the most and why?

Right now it’s Brennan Shaughnessy. I love / hate / pity the fool for making me crazy! Book three was supposed to be his story but he wouldn’t cooperate! So he’s book 4 because he has some growing to do.

Have you ever experience weird cravings while you write? If so, what kind?

In one book waiting its turn, the heroine works in an Italian restaurant. When working on that one I want to make lasagna. Sort of like reading a Stephanie Plum book and getting cravings for pizza or donuts. A person could gain ten pounds just reading one book if the food items are in the house! And I generally make sure they’re not.

Tell us about your favorite characters you love when writing. Are the heroes alpha males? Sweet yet shy geeks? And those heroines (if there are any in your story), are they feisty, independent “Take no prisoners” kind of women? Do they love it when a strong man takes care of them, pampering them? Give us the dirt on them.

I love my male characters strong, but not quite alpha. Oh they’ll step in and take control when necessary, but they also learn fast to take their cues from the women. My most recent hero has a certain list of criteria his woman has to meet. In the end, she pretty much fits his list by knowing how to cook and how to rock his world. The rest of it, well, he has to make some attitude adjustments.

If you could set up your writing desk anywhere in the world to write, no interruptions for 48 hours, where would you go and why?

Last fall I spent two weeks in Puerto Vallarta and did a fair amount of writing there. Some days I set up in the open air restaurant, under a ceiling fan, and typed away to the sound of the ocean and Billboard 100 Hits ala mariachi muzak. The waiters were very sweet and kept my water glass full, or brought me soda if I asked. They were great. And every once in a while, a really gorgeous man would be down on the beach. How could that be anything less than perfect? I hope to go back again next fall.

If you could be with any celebrity/author/character for a day, who would it be and what would you be doing?

Magnum PI would be fun to hang with. Wonder if he’d let me drive the Ferrari?

Tell us where to find you on the web.

Http://morganqoreilly.com

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Morgan-Quinn-OReilly/27734521758

http://themorgandiaries.blogspot.com

http://www.goodreads.com/morganqoreilly   -- follow my progress in the 2012 reading challenge

Thanks for coming by my Nook blog and hope you come back again soon.

Thanks for having me, Dawn. I look forward to chatting with your readers. I welcome questions and if you’ve read my book, any of my books, I’ll always accept a kind word or two!

Courage to Live

Book Two of the Open Windows Series

TAG: She’s living in fear. He’s a born protector. There’s a missing man holding them apart.

BLURB: Candace Cutler intended to leave her abusive husband, until he vanished one snowy Alaska night. She lives in a limbo of dread, wanting only to care for her son. And now a cocky young pilot has moved in next door.

Cayden Shaughnessy is a born protector. He doesn’t like the rumors about the guy who left a single mom and cute kid next door—and who’s he kidding? He finds the mom pretty adorable, too, in a hot, can’t-resist sort of way.

But Candace doesn’t have time for games. Too many loose ends leave her unsettled, and she can’t help expecting violence to step once more from the shadows...

WARNING: Contains two brief descriptions of violence; however, justice is served. Also contains hot loving, a Top Gun-worthy fly-by, sex and more sizzling Shaughnessys.

$5.50

Genre: Romance/Contemporary

Digital ISBN: 9781616503505

Word Count: 50,000

ePub Page Count: 153

From Lyrical Press

http://www.lyricalpress.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=3_25&products_id=491

Excerpt (exclusive to LRC)

After the social worker left, Cay helped me clean the table and followed me into the kitchen, where he cornered me at the sink. The high counter pressed into my stomach as his arms caged me, his chest providing a nice support for my body.

“You did good, Candace.”

Neck too tight, throat too dry, I could only manage a short nod. More than anything in that moment, I wanted to lean on Cay, take comfort from his strength. I felt like the worst sort of weak woman.

His arms came around my middle, careful not to hold me tight. “I know this is bad timing, highly inappropriate, but I can’t help it. I want to kiss the mother of the coolest kid ever born.”

My vision wavered and a smile spread across my face. Damn the man. “You know how to woo a girl. Praise her kid and she’s all but putty in your hands.”

“Not empty praise. Honest compliment. He’s the coolest kid I’ve ever met, and that includes my siblings, who are pretty damn cool. You have every right to be proud of him, but right now, I’m not really thinking about him. It’s you on my mind. I’ve never been attracted to a mother before. It’s messing with my head.” A hint of laughter rumbled in his chest.

“What’s wrong with mothers?”

“Not a damn thing, but all the ones I know come with a big ugly man attached. I’ve never known a divorcee or widow before.”

“We’re people too, you know.”

“So I’m discovering. Or maybe it’s just you. A cool kid with an ubercool mother. Makes sense to me.”

A tear slipped from the corner of my eye. “Ubercool? I think that’s the best compliment I’ve ever had.”

“And beautiful. Smart. Compassionate. Tough as nails, yet with an obvious soft spot for her kid. All adds up to incredibly sexy.” The words were softly spoken, brushing over my ear like the faintest breeze on a hot day. With the impact of a meteorite.

Heart pounding, I melted against him to discover his breathing was as uneven as mine. Something inside me loosened. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d been called sexy in such a reverent manner.

“Cay…”

He heard the plea in my voice because he turned me to face him. My hands rested on his chest covered with an old, soft t-shirt, but nothing could hide the smooth ridges of hard muscles. Blue eyes stared down at me, coming closer as the lids lowered.

Cay’s hands held my hips, his lips touched mine, and the world ceased to matter. He tasted of tea and pretzels. He smelled of clean sweat and the faintest trace of soap. He made my head swim, my breath shorten, and my blood race. A moan rumbled deep in his chest. Before we broke the kiss, he cupped my butt cheeks and lifted me onto the sink edge. Of their own will, my legs wrapped around his waist and pulled him tight. The fit was perfect. The ridge formed by the fly on his denim shorts, supported by an impressive erection behind it, aligned perfectly where I wanted to feel it most. The only thing better would be our clothes magically disappearing.