Brooke Morgan is an American living in London. Tainted is her first novel.
BCC: Firstly, welcome to Book Chick City. Please tell us a bit about your latest novel, Tainted.
BM: Tainted is a psychological thriller set in a small town on the East Coast of America, which has the story of a romance at its core, but which addresses questions such as: do you ever really know the person you’ve fallen in love with? Can people with a dark past actually change their character and be redeemed by love? How does a woman’s love for her child interact with her love for a man? Questions which will, I hope, stay in the reader’s mind after the end of the book.
BCC: Where do you like to write?
BM: I would like to write in a secluded place with a great view and no interruptions, but I actually write at home on my desktop computer.
BCC: Have any other writers influenced you as a writer?
BM: I wouldn’t say any authors have influenced me. I admire so many and often wish I could write like them, but I try to find my own voice and stick to that. I like authors who delve into the psyche, but think that any one doing that does it in his/her own distinct way.
BCC: What are you working on now?
BM: I’m writing a new novel entitled Cheated, which is all about betrayal and the ramifications of betrayal. It’s also a psychological thriller, and, like Tainted, it is set in America – this time in an exclusive co-ed boarding school.
BCC: What do you enjoy doing outside of writing?
BM: I love playing tennis and poker, and I have to admit I watch a fair amount of TV. But what I most enjoy is spending time with my children.
BCC: Tell us about your writing process.
BM: My brain functions best in the early morning – which is actually really annoying because no one gets to see me at my best – they’re all asleep. So I get up at six and start writing after my first cup of coffee. Many cups of coffee later, I start to fade, but always leave the book at a place where I know what I want to write next. And in the afternoons, I often re-write.
If I get really stuck, I take a bath, wash my hair and try to clear my brain so I can think things through and work out whatever problem had me stumped. Amazingly, that usually does the trick for me.
BCC: Who are your favourite authors to read?
BM: It’s hard to pick favourite authors, but I’d say Dickens, Tolstoy and Austen, then moving on to the more modern, I love Elmore Leonard, and hugely admire Dennis Lehane, Richard Price, Kate Atkinson.
BCC: What are you reading at the moment?
BM: When I’m writing fiction, I don’t read fiction, so right now I’m reading a great and funny book on poker by Al Alvarez called The Biggest Game in Town.
Thanks, Brooke!
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6 Comments
Ooh, I will have to try that, have a bath and wash my hair — when I'm stuck for words that is!
I have the feeling I'm going to have extremely clean hair!
Good interview.
I managed to change the image size of your flyer on my site, it looks better now!
Sassy
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Hi
Thank you for the great interview Brooke.
TAINTED sounds intriguing & I'm going to read it.
CHEATED sounds good too.
Is living in London better for your writing than America?
How do you handle the constant surveillance (CCTV)?
Are you on Twitter? (I searched but couldn't find you).
Thanks again for bringing TAINTED to my attention.
All the best,
RKCharron
xoxo
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Wow, I would love to live in London for a spell. Tainted and Cheated sound great. I will be sure to watch for them.
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I just gave away a bunch of awards on my blog, and you received one. Or more. I really can't keep track at this point…
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Great interview! Love the answers that she has given you.
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First time hearing about Brooke and her latest book Tainted – which I'm extremely curious about btw. I love the description and I'm definitely adding it to my TBR list.
I'm not a morning person myself so more power to you for being one Brooke =)
Excellent interview!
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