#WriteTip - VS Morgan (@vsmorgan1) Talks Characterization. Check out her @DecadentPub #LGBT #PNR

/

Some of you might have noticed my slight Pinterest addiction. As such, I'm a huge proponent of this writing tip from fellow Decadent Publishing author V.S. Morgan. Not only does her new release feature an interracial couple, it also includes not one, but two hot men. 

Details Make the Character

by V.S. Morgan 

Create a detailed background of your main characters and any key secondary characters. What they look like, their hobbies,  family situation, quirks, strengths, and weaknesses, etc.  I even find photos on stock photo sites as inspiration. This allows the characters to become 'real' for me, which translates into characters who don't seem like cardboard cutouts. Knowing your characters on a deeper level can also drive your story to places you may not have originally expected but are thrilled they did.

Rex's Mate

V.S. Morgan

Former assassin Rex realizes retirement isn’t all it’s cracked up to be without someone to share it with. He longs for the kind of connection his friends Hunter and Casey have. Tired of meaningless hookups, Rex and his wolf are ready to find their mate. But what if his mate is the human-were bunny shifter his former boss placed in his care? Can he win the heart of this fierce and beautiful man?

Abducted and genetically altered against his will, Aaron is thrust into a world he’d thought was only make-believe. Under the protection of a Minnesota wolf pack, he struggles with his new abilities as a rabbit shifter and his growing attraction for his cocky protector. Can he trust the former assassin to keep him safe and find his brother still being held captive by the evil group responsible for changing his life forever?

Excerpt

Something tickled his ear, and teeth nipped the lobe. Oh, he liked it a bit rough.

“Oh yeah, baby. Bite me again. Harder.” Rex opened his eyes, finding himself on his side, face-to-face with the rabbit.

“Screw that!” He scrambled back, landing bare-assed on the floor.

Screw bunny?

His wolf’s puzzled response had him crab walking toward the door. How the hell had it gotten in bed with him? Hunter. That shithead.

Leaving the rabbit there, Rex shoved onto his feet and stormed upstairs to their room. He opened the door with so much force it slammed against the wall, causing Priss to bark at the end of the bed.

His righteous indignation diminished slightly with Hunter’s Glock trained on him. Maybe he needed to rethink how soft the former assassin had gotten. His friend lowered the gun and glared at him.

“What the hell, Hunter?” He planted his hands on his hips, more confident without a gun pointed at his face.

Casey sat up and rubbed his eyes, his reddish-blond hair standing on end. “What’s the naked, crazy man yelling about?”

Hunter covered the little wolf’s eyes. Shifters weren’t prudes, but he was one possessive dude now he had a mate. “What’s your damage? And go put some clothes on. Casey doesn’t need to see your man bits.”

“As if you didn’t know. I moved here, froze my balls off last winter, and how do you repay that friendship? By putting a rabbit on my bed. That wasn’t funny. I could have eaten him.” His stomach churned even though his wolf huffed in denial, insulted by the accusation.

No eat. Wolf like bunny.

Yeah, probably too much, you dumb wolf.

About V.S. Morgan

V.S. Morgan has lived all over the US but calls Minnesota her home now. Her family includes her hubby, son, and a menagerie of pets. 

She's been writing stories since she could hold a pencil and dreams of happily-ever-afters - even for two hot men - because love knows no boundaries. V.S. writes IRMC contemporary, paranormal, and suspense m/m and m/f with heart. 

 V.S. is a GLBT ally and a lifetime contributor of The Trevor Project.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | GoodReads | Amazon Author

#WriteTip & $20 #Giveaway - Conquering the 1st Draft by V.S. Morgan (@VSMorgan1), a @DecadentPub #EroticRomance #Author

/

My fellow Decadent Publishing author V.S. Morgan just polished off a new multicultural contemporary romance. What better time to ask for a writing tip? Before I take out my tablet to jot down notes, I should let you know there's a $20 Giveaway up for grabs. Don't forget to put your name in the hat!

Conquering the 1st Draft by V.S. Morgan

Hi everyone,

Super excited to be visiting Tara Quan today.  She asked that I share a few writing tips with you. I’m still a relatively new author but have learned some key things. Here are a few:

  • Start with establishing good characters. I’ve found that doing character profiles really makes the characters multifaceted and helps when working through plot details.
  • Write and write until you are done with the first draft. Do not go back and pick until you are done.  It’s really easy to get ‘stuck’ if do this. Power through and then build from there. It’s okay to write crap in your first draft!
  • Write for yourself first and then right for others. Don’t censure yourself, especially with your first draft. Going with your first instincts are usually best. If you’re considered you’re being too over the top, have your beta reader/s review. I’ve found some of my out there ideas have really connected with readers and made my stories stand out.

Sam’s Temptation 

By V.S. Morgan

A contemporary multicultural foodie romance from Decadent Publishing

On a working vacation in Montana, Chef Gabi Inez’s schedule allows her to enjoy planned activities and hangout with her cousin and his new family. She’s not looking for love, but spending time with a hunky cowboy sounds perfect. Gabi works hard, but every girl needs some fun. What if flirting leads to something more?

Sam Malone is the brains behind Blackbird, a guest and working ranch. Since his parents’ death, his sole purpose has been family and the ranch’s survival. Burned by love in the past, he avoids the distraction that comes with beautiful women. But what’s a cowboy to do when a sweet and sassy chef gets under his skin, only to be told by her overprotective cousin she’s off limits?

 

Buy Links: Amazon  | Kobo | iBooks (iTunes-Apple)

About V.S. Morgan

V.S. Morgan has lived all over the US but calls Minnesota her home now. Her family includes her hubby, son, and a menagerie of pets.

She's been writing stories since she could hold a pencil and dreams of happily ever afters - even for two hot men - because love knows no boundaries. V.S. writes MC/IR contemporary, paranormal, and suspense m/f and m/m with heart.

V.S. is a GLBT ally and a lifetime contributor of The Trevor Project.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads


Author Interview – V.S. Morgan (@VSMorgan1) – Hunter’s Mark (a @DecadentPub #BeyondFairyTales #MMRomance)

/

It’s been a while since I spotlighted a fellow Beyond Fairytales author. Joining the ranks of Decadent Publishing’s Brother’s Grimm fangirls (which includes Sara Daniel, Eva Lefoy, Zee Monodee, and many others), V.S. Morgan adapts The Skillful Huntsman into a paranormal M/M romance. Hunter’s Mark is now making a splash at all major eBook retailers. Curious? Let’s find out more about it.

1. Okay, from one BFT author to another—what was your first reaction when you got your story assignment? Had you heard of this fairytale before then?

My first reaction was huh. I’m a huge fairytale and Grimm fan but hadn’t heard of this one prior to the assignment. Once I found and read it, I felt there was quite a bit I could work with. Now I’m glad I got a lesser known tale because I could just “run” with it the way I wanted.

2. That's an experience I can definitely relate to! So how did your hero make the leap from a huntsman in the original tale to Hunter the wolf shifter assassin in yours? Did any particular element in the Grimm story inspire this twist?

In the original tale upon completion of his huntsman training, he was given a magical rifle that never misses. Rather than making the gun magical, I made my character paranormal. Hunter was trained as a Marine assassin before he joins a secret organization as a gun-for-hire killing only the most horrible of mankind.
One of my favorite older movies is The Replacement Killers. Chow Yun-Fat’s assassin character gets an assignment he can’t morally follow through with – the assassination of a cop’s young son. Remembering that film and his character inspired me as I wrote Hunter.

3. Since you have two heroes we can discuss, let’s shift (pun intended) to Casey. Does he turn into a wolf too? How did he and Hunter meet?

Casey can also turn into a wolf but he’s different from Hunter in that he was raised around humans. He doesn’t know about shifter ways and communities. He suppresses his wolf nature by using a vegetarian diet, meditation and his dog, Priss, so he can stay safe from detection.
When Casey’s adopted mom passed away, and full of grief Casey was unable to control his wolf, shifted, and ran down a street. The image of his wolf form splashed across the Internet and he became a target. An unknown enemy tracked him down, Hunter’s organization is contracted to kill Casey.
Good thing for Casey Hunter is a very thorough and moral assassin. He doesn’t kill innocents, and he doesn’t kill shifters.

4. Now I’m really curious about the chemistry between the two. Would you mind giving us a sneak peek from when sparks first fly?

The sparks first fly when Hunter goes to check Casey out up close – he’s not fitting the mold of his usual assignments. As he approaches, the super-skilled and graceful assassin trips over Casey’s (awesome) dog, Priss.

Excerpt

He stepped closer to Casey’s stall but stumbled over something small and furry. The toe of one Birkenstock caught on a clump of grass as he attempted not to trample the little beast, and he ass-planted with said beast jumping onto his chest to give him a broad doggie smile.

His buddy laughed piss-your-pants-hard in his ear. Fuck a duck.

“Miss Priscilla!”

The target he’d worked so hard to observe remotely sank to the ground between his sprawled-out legs, peeling the tiny hairball off his chest and setting it on the ground.

“I’m so sorry! Are you okay?”

Big blue eyes fringed with long, pale lashes scanned his body while strong yet gentle hands moved over his ankles and legs, searching for an injury. Oh, a toucher. His wolf basked in the tactile attention. His breath hitched as those hands glided past his knees and skimmed his thighs.

Damn, he needed to get laid after this assignment.

“Oh, my, what a li’l sweetie. Look at those freckles! I wonder if he’s got them everywhere. I’d like to lick them,” Rex crowed in his ear.

He growled.

The other man chortled. “Possessive, much?”

He inhaled deeply, only to be slammed with the force of a Mack truck. Strawberries on a warm summer’s day and fresh-cut grass—shit, his target smelled delicious. He took another breath, and his brain reeled. He’s a wolf shifter, too? Fuck.

Casey’s brows furrowed. “Where are you hurt?”

He forced a smile. “I’m fine. No worries.”

Casey returned the smile, his wide and high beam combined with sparkling eyes. Hunter stared as warmth wrapped around him like a blanket. He had no ammo against such a happy, open expression. The guy freaking glowed.

And it only gets hotter from here as these two end up in close quarters! ;)

5. Hotter? Oh dear, how ever will I cope? Before I let you go—What project(s) are you working on right now? Is it another paranormal romance?

I’m currently working on two projects. I’m in edits for an m/f, multicultural, Western foodie romance called Sam’s Temptation for Decadent Publishing. It’s a sequel to The Gift, but can be read as a standalone. I don’t have a release date yet but I’d guess it may come out in December or January, depending on the schedule.
I’ve also plotted and started writing the sequel to Hunter’s Mark. This time the focus is on Hunter’s smartass best friend, Rex. The working title is Rex’s Mate. I’m having a great time with this story, as charmer Rex is getting the runaround from his reluctant mate, who is not a typical shifter both in terms of animal type and origin. LOL, I know that’s vague, and I hope intriguing!

Smartass best friends are kind off my weakness, I'll have you know. Okay, since book release month is crazy busy for any writer, I’ll let my guest run off.

For more information about the book and author, just scroll down. As always, comments are much appreciated.

Hunter's Mark

by V.S. Morgan

Artist Casey Smith lives a quiet life, under the radar of his enemies, until one fateful night he loses control and the astonishing image of a wolf racing down a suburban street splashes all over social media.

Hunter’s bullet never misses its target. The assassin seeks out and kills his prey with a clear conscience by following two simple rules: 1) Don’t kill innocents 2) Don’t kill shifters.

Realizing his latest assignment violates those rules, the hunter activates Princess Protocol and the assassin becomes the protector. Red hot attraction flares between the hit man and his former target. Can Hunter resist the sweet shifter in his care?

Buy Links: Decadent | iTunes | Kobo | Amazon | Smashwords | B&N | AllRomance

About V.S. Morgan

V.S. Morgan has lived all over the US but calls Minnesota her home now. Her family includes her hubby, son, and a menagerie of pets.

She's been writing stories since she could hold a pencil and dreams of happily ever afters - even for two hot men - because love knows no boundaries. V.S. writes MC/IR contemporary, paranormal, and suspense m/m and m/f with heart. She plans to branch into fantasy and sci fi romance, as well.

V.S. is a GLBT ally and a lifetime contributor of The Trevor Project.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads