I love getting to know fellow writers every quarter during the Romance Book Blast as we help each other promote our books. We’re having a Blast event this month! Hundreds of romance books for free, and I thought you might enjoy meeting one of the amazing participating authors as we dive with her into a writer’s life and learn about her novels of “dark worlds and tender romances.” 

Let’s Meet the Author

Let’s Get Started

Thank you so much for visiting my Spotlight, Morgan.

Thanks for including me in this spotlight! I’m excited to participate. 

Can you share who or what was your biggest inspiration and how you got started?

This is such a tough question. I’ve loved storytelling as long as I can remember, but I think the first author who inspired me to write fantasy was Gail Carson Levine. I especially adored The Two Princesses of Bamarre. Between her, Lord of the Rings, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and The Princess Bride, I was doomed (fated?) to write paranormal romance and romantasy.

How did you decide on your genre, and what other genres or subgenres do you want to explore?

Similar to my answer above, I think my genres came naturally to me thanks to the movies, books, and shows I was exposed to as a child. Something about the fantastical always intrigued me. I tend to write pretty dark worlds, and I think someday I’d like to experiment with cozy fantasy as a mental palette cleanser.

Oh, I like how you phrase that. Cozy and dark both work for me when it comes to romance. It’s just a matter of adjusting the atmosphere in my reading nook. As for fantasy, your books are right up my alley, vampires, gods, dark magical forests. Can you tell us a bit about The Dust of the Earth Trilogy and The Withering Wood?

The Dust of the Earth follows a reluctant born vampire (Nikki) as she navigates her transition from her human to vampiric traits. When she meets a sunshine human at her university, evil voices start whispering to her through the trees. She has to figure out what it is, what it wants, and if there’s any hope of surviving it. I have a new twist on vampires (factoring in a genetic component), and the story is full of mysteries, secrets, and friendships that are just as important as the romantic relationships. 

I do love a good fairytale retelling, and I’m happy the genre has taken off. What inspired you to write one and what do you love most about it?

I love fairytale retellings too! My retelling is part of a collaboration with the Portland Romance Writers, where we’re releasing a different retelling every week for 8 weeks starting August 18th. I wanted to retell a tale less frequently retold and while reading a compilation of 5 minute fairytales to my toddler (who was closer to an infant at the time) I was reminded of the story of Snow White and Rose Red. My retelling sort of spiralled out of my head from there. 

I feel like I’m betraying the main characters in Dust of the Earth by saying this, but the FMC and MMC in The Withering Wood are my favorite characters I’ve ever written. Cerise is a cold-hearted warrior archetype and Oberon is ridiculously flirty so writing their banter was too much fun. I also loved creating a new world and leaning heavily into the winter vibes.

I have a writing friend who writes paranormal romance and lives in the Pacific Northwest, a region rife with fantasy vibes–all those dense, mossy forests… She attends so many wonderful markets or fairs where artists and authors can dress up as fantasy characters and share their wares, like the Fae Ball Events or The Court of Shadow & Starlight Fantasy Ball I just saw scheduled for next year. What is your favorite way to connect with readers, and what are your recommendations regarding virtual or physical engagement and why?

We really do have so many wonderful events here in the PNW. From organizers, to authors, to readers, each one I’ve been to has been a blast. These in-person events are my favorite way to connect with readers. Which surprised me at first since I’m terribly introverted. But it fits better with my communication style than over social media, which I struggle with. I see virtual and/or physical engagement work differently for different authors, so my recommendation to new authors is to experiment and see what works best for you. If you don’t vibe with social media like me, find what your boundary is with it. For example, I don’t have a face-forward account, and I tend to post more about updates or reveals. Then my social energy goes into in-person events. But others may not like in-person events and love content creation! What is successful for one person may not work for another, so don’t sweat it too much and do what works best for you. You don’t need to burn yourself out. You will find your readers.

What are your top tips on marketing and publishing?

Join a local author group if you can. Being in the Portland Romance Writers has been an amazing experience. Writing a story is a solitary endeavor, but marketing and publishing doesn’t have to be. Having a support group and people you can workshop blurbs, hooks, graphics with, or even just vent when you’re feeling down about your career can be helpful. They can also give recommendations for editors and cover designers who are effective, affordable, and trustworthy.

I love it! Thanks for that advice. I see that you offer signed copies of your books on your website. I would love to offer that option for my books. How easy is it to set up a store and can you share a few tips?

I am not a tech savvy person and have had a few people help me tweak my store. I’ve had to watch a lot of videos on how to use WordPress and the add-ons to navigate it. I use Square for in-person events and was able to attach it to my website; so, I’d recommend looking into if a platform you already use for sales can be connected to help keep sales in one place. 

Awesome, thanks! Besides your website, where are the best place(s) to find you and your books?  

I am most active on Instagram: @authormorganvayle. But I can also be found on Facebook and Threads.

My books are available on Amazon and KU: The first book in my trilogy also recently released on audible and the second is coming soon!

Congratulations on the Audible! Your cover art is amazing. Can you tell us about it? 

Thank you! I was originally published through a small press and they designed the covers for Dust of the Earth. Each silhouette is a different main character (Nikki, Gwen, and Xander) and each book has the cover character’s POV added. The image within their silhouette represents a key aspect or influence in their journey.

Can you give us a sneak peek at what’s coming next?

I sure can! Speaking of covers, there may be a few special editions on the horizon … besides that I can say there will be more infrequently retold fairytales. While I’ll stay in the romantasy genre, I will be taking a “dive” into a new world.

Fantastic. Now, for more on your writer’s life. Do you write full time? What is your writing schedule like and what are your favorite methods or tools to balance writing with day-to-day life and keep you productive and those creative juices flowing? Do you have a favorite writing spot?

I wish I wrote full time and my goal is to do so someday. I currently have a day job where I work remote from home while also taking care of my toddler. I generally have to get my writing done early in the morning before my kid wakes up and before I start my day job, because once those two things are going all creative juices are sapped. Though there’s a part of me that’s still brainstorming and I jot down notes here and there as I can. It can be really tough to keep the motivation going with so much going on, but reminding myself that writing is the most rejuvenating, fulfilling activity for me helps. I have to take life as it ebbs and flows and remember that someday I’ll be able to be more consistent with writing again. 

My favorite writing spot is my office. I love having my own space which is surrounded by my favorite books and bookish art. I just get to soak in the lovely, literary vibes. I also like writing in our backyard when the weather is nice. 

Wonderful. I could get into having a home library writing nook for sure and give me any yard with all that greenery in the PNW, and I can see the inspiration flowing. Thanks again for dropping by, Morgan, and good luck with the Romance Book Blast. Any parting advice for aspiring writers?

Thanks so much for inviting me! I hope the RBB goes well for you too. My parting advice for aspiring writers is to not give up. Find your people. Aspiring can be daunting. Debuting can be discouraging. But find your support group and keep plugging along. You’ll get there!